Page 8 - Aruba Today

A8 Thursday 31 March 2016

WORLD NEWSThursday 31 March 2016

Paris prosecutor: Suspect charged with terrorism offenses

that the suspect, Reda explanation to investiga-

Kriket, is accused of partic- tors in his six days in deten-

ipating in a terrorist group tion.

with plans for at least one Two Algerians believed

attack, possessing and linked to Kriket’s alleged

transporting arms and ex- plot are being held in Brus-

plosives, and holding fake sels. The Belgian federal

documents, among other prosecutors’ office said

charges. Kriket will stay in Wednesday that the men,

custody while magistrates identified as Abderrah-

continue investigating mane A. and Rabah M.,

the case and determine will face a hearing April 7.

whether to send him to Another Frenchman linked

trial. to Kriket, Anis Bari, is be-

Kriket is believed to have ing held in the Dutch city

traveled to Syria in 2014 of Rotterdam, Molins said.

and 2015 and made sev- Bari is resisting extradition

eral trips between France to France.

and Belgium and the Neth- Among things found when

erlands, Molins said. police searched Kriket’s

At least three other people apartment in the Paris

are in custody in the case suburb of Argenteuil on

in Belgium and the Nether- Thursday were 500 grams

French soldiers patrol outside the Paris hall of Justice, Wednesday, March 30, 2016 while French- lands. of the explosive TATP, 1.3
man Reda Kriket is being questioned by a magistrate who is expected to file preliminary terrorism Molins did not say whether kilograms of industrial ex-
charges. Kriket has been detained in the Paris region last week on suspicion of being in the “ad- Kriket’s purported plot was plosives, several bottles of
vanced stages” of a plot. Authorities found a large quantity of explosives and weapons in Kriket’s linked to the Islamic State oxygenated water and
apartment. network behind last week’s acetone, material to make
attacks in Brussels and last detonators, five automatic
(AP Photo/Francois Mori) November’s attacks in Par- rifles, seven cell phones,
is. stolen passports and two
S. CORBET rorism charges Wednes- explosives arsenal of what The prosecutor said no tar- computers showing links
T. ADAMSON day against a 34-year-old prosecutors called “un- get for Kriket’s thwarted at- with jihadi groups, Molins
Associated Press Frenchman for allegedly precedented scale.” tack has been identified, said.
PARIS (AP) — Paris authori- plotting an imminent at- Paris Prosecutor Francois and Kriket has given limited Before the Paris attacks,
ties filed preliminary ter- tack and operating an Molins said Wednesday

Belgium: Kriket and the suspected
Paris attacks ringleader

Premier’s residence, office found on bomber’s laptop were convicted in absen-
tia in the July 2015 trial of

RAF CASERT were apparently scout- the March 22 airport bomb- the investigation is ongoing, Khaled Zerkani, who Bel-
Associated Press ing the terrain” around the ing first gained notoriety be- said that at the moment gium’s federal prosecutor
BRUSSELS (AP) — A laptop lush Royal Park where both cause it contained a sort of there were “absolutely no” described as “the most sig-
used by one of the Brussels his office, “Le 16,” and his will of suicide bomber Ibra- specific indications that Mi- nificant recruiter of jihadi
bombers contained imag- Lambermont residence are him El Bakraoui, in which he chel was under threat from candidates in Belgium.”
es of the Belgian prime min- located. spoke of being “in a haste” the attackers. Kriket, like Paris attacks
ister’s home and office, an Security around Prime Min- and “no longer know what The report was first pub- mastermind Abdelhamid
official said Wednesday, ister Charles Michel has in- to do.” lished by De Tijd and L’Echo Abaaoud, was absent for
heightening fears after last creased since the Nov. 13 The computer was also newspapers. In propa- the trial. Also implicated in
week’s attacks on the air- attacks in Paris and in Brus- “full of stuff” on many lo- ganda material distributed the network was Najim Laa-
port and subway system. sels last week. Michel also cations around Brussels in Tuesday, the Islamic State chraoui, the bombmaker
A government official, who has had several unspeci- information garnered from group described the Brus- who made the explosives
spoke on condition of ano- fied death threats over the the Internet, said an official sels attacks as part of “a for the Nov. 13 attacks
nymity because the inves- past years, the official said. linked to the investigation. war against all their tyrants and then used his own cre-
tigation is ongoing, said A laptop found near the The official, who asked not and pagans; a war against ations as a suicide attacker
that “it is alarming that they hideout of the suspects of to be identified because secularism.” q in Brussels on March 22.q