ASTANA. Dec 26 (Interfax) - Zhandos Akhmetov, an acting chief of the Northern Kazakhstan regional department for economic and corruption crimes (financial police), has been killed in Petropavlovsk, the administrative center of the region.
An unidentified gunman fired at Akhmetov several times, including in the head, in the lobby of his apartment block in Petropavlovsk, the Kazakh Agency for Economic and Corruption Crimes (Financial Police) said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Northern Kazakhstan police department has opened a criminal investigation under Criminal Code Article 96 (murder).
"All possible theories are being pursued within the framework of the criminal case being probed by police. We do not rule out that Akhmetov's killing could be related to his official duties," it said.
Akhmetov was appointed first deputy chief of the Northern Kazakhstan regional department for economic and corruption crimes in March 2013. He was in charge of investigative and pretrial procedures.
The agency said it expected the people "who have committed this heinous crime to be identified in the near future and brought to justice."