Ray Davis Released: Blood Money Paid By CIA?
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 09:49AM BBC
A Pakistani court has freed a US CIA contractor after acquitting him of two counts of murder at a hearing held at a prison in Lahore, officials say.
Raymond Davis, 36, was alleged to have shot dead two men in the eastern city of Lahore in January following what he said was an attempted armed robbery.
The acquittal came when relatives of the dead men pardoned him in court.
They confirmed to the judge overseeing the case that they had received compensation - known as "blood money".
Under Pakistani law, relatives of a murder victim can pardon the killer.
Reports say about 18 family members of the two dead men were in court on Wednesday and confirmed that they wanted Mr Davis to be freed and pardoned because they had received "blood money".
Illegal weapons
The superintendent at Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore - where Mr Davis was being held - told the AP news agency that the contractor had left the prison in the company of US consulate officials.
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