The trial of the arson of the municipal pound of Besançon took place this Wednesday at the bisontin criminal court. Of only seven suspects, six were present at the hearing. The seventh suspected of being “the brain” has been on the run since 2019, date of the facts. The hearing of the case, which has several sub-parties and twists and turns, lasted twelve o’clock, around 10:30 p.m., the decision fell.
The defendants speak of acts carried out under duress
All morning, the six defendants succeeded one another at the bar and were questioned by the president in order to clarify as much as possible this story which started against the background of drug trafficking. The first, Soufyane, is suspected of having been spotted the car the day before the incident, on December 30. During his hearing he denied and claimed “to have come to recover his 206”. The problem is that his car has never been in this impound. In addition, video surveillance images show him in front of the BMW X6 (automobile stolen in the suburbs of Mulhouse on 12/23/2019 and set on fire on 12/31/2019) accompanied by another man. Once again, the defendant assured that he was looking for his car.
The prosecutor continued to ask him a few questions. Notably, “Why were traces of pellets and pistol powder found on your coat?”. The 27-year-old defendant justified himself by saying “That a friend must have touched his jacket or that someone had shaken his hand.”
The second accused did not stay at the helm for long. He had to be absent for health reasons. His lawyer did not want to play on the health context so that his client does not appear in court. After several fits of coughing. The 21-year-old left the trial for test for COVID. The latter has not returned all day.
It is during the arrival of the third defendants, Samy, that the trial has grown a little. The latter first started with “apologize to the victims” and explained “regret his actions”. During his hearing, he confessed to filling a jerry can with gasoline and carried the gas in front of the entrance to the pound on the day of the incident. When the president asked him “who commissioned this act”, he replied that he did not know. Same for the reasons for the fire, Samy, guess it’s to do disappear footprints.
I had just come out of prison, I needed money. I was offered a € 400 ticket to participate in this affair, I accepted. If I had known that 150 cars and the Intermarché would have burned down, I would never have done this. – Samy
For the rest of his hearing, he declined to say who fired the shots on New Year’s Eve. On the other hand, he assured to have accepted to participate in this “commando” by fear of reprisals, especially towards his family in case of refusal. On the other hand, he assumes and recognizes what he reproached him for. “The store burned down, I will assume the consequences”.
During his pre-trial detention, it was bugged. A telephone conversation with his brother was recorded. In this recording, Samy recounts, “I don’t even know what this car is, I was tasked with destroying it and voila.” later in the conversation he states: “Me and Bass Bass went there.” This last statement affirms the presence of another of the defendants.
In view of the wiretaps, you appear to be a mature, knowledgeable delinquent, Mr. Samy *. – Dominique Rubey, president of the hearing.
The fourth to take the helm also mentioned fear and money as motivation. “I was given 300 euros to go to the pound, but I was not told exactly why”, he says. This fourth defendant is suspected of having paved the way for the rest of the perpetrators to enter the pound. He is the only one to have entered it with his face uncovered. Oualid has been imprisoned for almost two years in pre-trial detention.
The fifth defendant, also in pre-trial detention is suspected of having bought three guns and fifty blank bullets. Again, the motivation was money. “I was unemployed and told me I could keep the change so I took advantage”, Bassir confessed. He also mentioned wanting to do a favor to the person who asked him to buy these weapons without revealing the identity of this person. He is also suspected by the courts of having set the car on fire. He rejects this accusation.
I told myself that you couldn’t kill with this kind of weapon. – Bassir, one of the defendants.
The sixth and last defendant present at the hearing, appears to have lent his identity card to buy weapons and blank bullets. He lied in particular by claiming to be with his aunt during the facts. However, his phone was limited to the Planoise district at the same time.
The seventh defendant, perhaps the most important was not present. He has been on the run since the events. He is suspected of being the mastermind of the operation or at least one of the originators.
Men already known to the police for the most part
After being heard at the bar, the profile of each defendant was examined. Alone a from suspected has a blank record. The others already had one, for narcotics, theft or contempt of agent cases. All have said they do not know each other or just sight since they live in the same neighborhood.
A big half hour of indictment from the prosecutor
The prosecutor traced the whole story for more than half an hour. At the end of his indictment, he asked sentences ranging from one and a half years in prison to eight years with periods of reprieve and bans on stay in Franche-Comté. The heaviest sentence was required against the supposed brain, eight years in prison as well as a ban from being on Franche-Comté soil for five years.
Following the pleadings of the 6 lawyers, each defendant took the stand. Samy, assured that “two of the defendants were not with him”. Some apologized, others said they had done nothing.
Ultimately
The first defendant was sentenced to : sentenced to 18 months in prison, 12 of which were suspended but released for attempted degradation.
The second of : sentenced to two years in prison including 12 months suspended.
The third of : sentenced to five years in prison, including a 24-month suspension and an inadmissibility in Franche-Comté for 3 years.
The fourth of: sentenced to three years in prison, including an 18-month suspended sentence and a two-year ban from Doubs.
The fifth of: acquitted of all charges by the benefit of the doubt.
The sixth of: acquitted of all charges by the benefit of the doubt. The seventh of: sentenced to eight years in prison and a 5-year ban on residence in Franche-Comté. An arrest warrant is filed against him.
On the victims’ side, the hearing on civil interests will take place on June 2, 2022.
* Names have been replaced by first names.