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Home News Motive sought for deadly stabbing spree at Paris police HQ

Investigators combed an IT staffer's computer Friday for clues to his motive for stabbing four colleagues to death at police headquarters in Paris, as his wife said he had been "agitated" before going on the rampage with a kitchen knife.
The 45-year-old computer expert killed three men and a woman -- three police officers and an administrative worker -- in a frenzied 30-minute attack that ended when he was shot dead.
Two others were injured in the Thursday lunchtime stabbing spree that sent shock waves through an embattled French police force already complaining of low morale.
Officials said there was no indication that the rampage was an act of terror but emphasised that no theory was being ruled out at this stage.
The man, named as Mickael H, was born on the French overseas territory of Martinique in the Caribbean and was a recent convert to Islam. He had worked for the police for over a decade-and-a-half without ever arousing suspicion.
- 'Not automatic sign' -
The attacker's widow told investigators her husband, who had a severe hearing disability, displayed "unusual and agitated behaviour" the night before his crime, a source close to the investigation told AFP.
A search of the couple's house in a low-income Paris suburb near Charles de Gaulle airport yielded no evidence that the man, who became a Muslim about 18 months ago, had been motivated by radical religious ideology, the source added.
Computer equipment seized in the search was still being examined. AFP correspondents saw investigators -- faces concealed by balaclavas -- lead out from the house late Thursday a man and a woman who hid behind hoods.
The possibility of a terror motive "has clearly not been ruled out," government spokeswoman Sibeth Ndiaye told Franceinfo radio on Friday.
"But it is important to emphasise -- you are not a terrorist because you are Muslim and converting to Islam is not an automatic sign of radicalisation. The facts need to be looked at carefully" she said.
One motive investigative sources mooted was a personal conflict at work.
The man was employed as a computer scientist in the intelligence branch at police headquarters, a stone's throw from the Notre-Dame cathedral in the historic heart of Paris.
He had worked for the police since 2003 before committing the deadliest attack on police in France in years.
Shortly after the killings, Paris prosecutor Remy Heitz said anti-terror investigators were not involved in the murder probe.
- A 'quiet person' -
"He was a very quiet person. I used to see him going to the mosque but he practised (his religion) in a normal way," a neighbour, who asked not to be named, told AFP.
Locals said the man had two children aged three and nine.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Thursday the assailant had "never shown any behavioural problems" and never aroused the "slightest reason for alarm".
The man used a kitchen knife to stab two policemen and a male administrative colleague in two offices on the first floor of the building, before attacking two women on the staircase on his way to the courtyard outside.
One was a police officer who died at the scene. The other, an administrative worker, was seriously injured.
The assailant wounded another policeman in the courtyard before he was shot in the head by a colleague, sources told AFP.
The lives of the two injured colleagues are not in danger, a source said Friday.
Tension has been growing in police ranks, stretched to the limit after months of weekly "yellow vest" anti-government demonstrations and years of high alert following a string of terror attacks in France.
"The police are a big family and the fact that police headquarters were hit like this is something that is pretty traumatic," a spokeswoman for the force, Laetitia Vallar, told BFM-TV.
Hundreds of police and headquarters staff held a minute of silence in the courtyard of the building Friday in memory of those who were killed.
The Paris police force "will be forever marked by this drama. We will not forget," said Paris' top policeman Didier Lallement.
The killings came a day after thousands of police officers marched in Paris for better working conditions, a rare protest against the backdrop of a spike in police suicides -- 52 so far this year.
The police have also been a recurring target of jihadist groups, such as Islamic State, behind a wave of attacks since 2015 -- from large synchronised assaults to isolated knife and gun attacks.
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BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
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