The federal public prosecutor’s office confirms the arrest of an ex-finder in the investigation into the Gang of Nijvel. Yesterday he was invited for questioning and at this moment he is still questioned. The current research team suspects that the man, Philippe V. (62), that he, in 1986, the investigation of the Gang manipulated. Q. “would at least some, potentially crucial, information withheld,” says the public prosecutor. The judge will tomorrow decide whether he is arrested or not.
“I can confirm that Philippe V. intercepts for hearing, and is deprived of his freedom,” says spokeswoman Wenke Roggen of the federal public prosecutor’s office. “It’s not a new element in the case, but it comes to closing doors. The judge will later decide whether he was in suspicion or arrested.” Philippe V. it was quite the afternoon answered, his lawyer Walter Damen was present. Damen denies that his client is the research manipulated. “But the memory is after 32 years of course, not infallible.”
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The interrogation part in the discussion about the wapenvondst of november 1986 in the canal in Ronquières. Philippe V., now 62 and retired, was in the eighties, a long time member of the cell-Delta in Dendermonde, which was then under the leadership of magistrate Freddy Troch, the investigation led to the Gang of Nijvel.
Weapons
V. lag in november 1986 on the basis of an important wapenvondst in the canal Brussels-Charlerloi in Ronquières. There were a bullet-proof vest, a gun that a police officer was stolen, and ammunition found. A year earlier, had a quest in the same turning basin yielded nothing. V. has always claimed that the search was made by classic police work, but in 2013 turned out from the scientific research that objects only a few days before the discovery in november 1986 in the channel dumped could be. This strengthened the suspicion of the investigating judge and the speurdersploeg that there is manipulation in the game.
“Someone had those articles, so at a certain moment in his possession, has that in bags stabbed and thrown into the water. Probably with the knowledge that a few days out would be found. That incident raises questions. We would like answers to,” said Eric Van der Sypt of the federal public prosecutor’s office to VRT NWS.
“First time on amateurish way searched”
The Second Bendecommissie stated that it was unclear how the second dive in the turning basin of Ronquières. “During the hearings revealed that the detectives a number of approaches have done, of which the magistrates nor advance, nor afterwards were informed. Continues to examining magistrate Troch, in the version that the Delta-cell had been successful because the pv’s thoroughly been checked and because the divers of the genius of the Castle the soil have systematically searched”, according to the report, that had already pointed to possible manipulation of the detectives.
Philippe V. declared in 1997 in the parliament that he has a number of pv programs reviewed had which showed that the turning basin for the first time in an amateurish way searched. “An informer would V. have said where he got the weapons had been dumped,” writes The Standard. “Q. would then the zoekwerken in the scene have been proposed as ” a classic policing’. As the informer of V. really exists, then the cell Gang of Nijvel him to quickly identify and speak. Because there is a chance that the investigation into the Gang of Nijvel forward can help.”
Q. it was in 2013 already questioned about the possible manipulations, but the track also continues in the research of the federal public prosecutor’s office an important piste.
“We have taken out what it was”
Troch would not comment on the arrest of V., but declared in October last year that the case is not by the cell Delta was being manipulated. “Where is the manipulation of the Delta-cell? We have taken out (out of the water, red.) what it was,” said Troch to Belga. “In 1985, after the facts of Aalst saw testify that there is anything in the turning basin of Ronquières cast cast. Which pv’s we have never been, but in October 1986, they come up in my possession. From that pv’s I could deduce that there not good with the search. So is there on paper that one is not in the water, but on a boat it has been because there is to much movement.”
investigators hope the arrest of V. press can put in the research, and that with an arrest, the potential informant V. the light can be brought. Minister of Justice Koen Geens (CD&V) stated in the middle of 2018 that “within three years,” a trial about the Gang of Nivelles will come. The limitation of the research, which, with the ten-year period, is foreseen in 2025.
Victim David Of the Stone: “Hopefully not another blank”
Victim David From the Stone reacts expectantly: “let’s hope it’s not another blank in the research, but it is already progress that to a gendarme dares to be mentioned.”
The former detect Philippe V. is not unknown for the Stone. I’ve talked to him and had that (the involvement of V., ed.) so, that would be quite a punishment. It is a track that is already several years underway. The previous speurdersploeg already had instructions to that person, but that team is then disintegrated. What now, precisely where it is, I don’t know. I know that Troch and the cell Delta is always behind him. I hope it’s not another blank in the investigation.”