Attack of Nice: a “matured for several months” project with accomplices – The World

Le Monde | 07/22/2016 at 0:19 • Updated 22/07/2016 at 1:48 | By Soren Seelow

Far from being an isolated compulsive killer, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel that killed 84 people in Nice in the evening of July 14, seems to have “matured” the project for several months and enjoyed “complicity” , said at a press briefing on Thursday 21 July, the Paris prosecutor Francois Molins. Five people suspected of aiding the criminal in the development of the killings – all unknown to intelligence services – were indicted Thursday for criminal association terrorist evildoers

Three of them. – Ramzi A., a French-Tunisian 21 years born in Nice; C. Chokri, a Tunisian born 37 years in Sousse; and Walid Mohamed G., a French-Tunisian 40, also born in Tunisia – were also set assassinations complicity for consideration in relation to a terrorist undertaking. SMS exchanges suggest that these three men knew the draft Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel

Read also. The unique profile of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, bomber Nice

“Chokri and friends”

According to the World information , the killer recorded audio July 14 message to 17 hours in phone: “Chokri and his friends are ready for next month, now they are in Walid. “ A 22 h 27, a quarter of an hour before the attack, it sends an SMS to last Ramzi A.: ” I wanted to tell you that the gun you brought me yesterday, it was fine, then back to 5 at your boyfriend. That’s Chokri and his friends. “ Demanded it providing other ” guns “ to a planned attack ” next month “? Investigators do not exclude it.

The recipient of that message Ramzi A., was also indicted for offenses arms in relation with a terrorist enterprise, and an Albanian couple Artan H., 38, and Enkeledgia Z., 42, suspected of supplying the gun that the killer used against the police officers. During his custody, Ramzi A. has also told investigators the cache of a Kalashnikov, mentioned in several messages. At this stage, “we do not know what it was intended” , Molins says.

“I am not Charlie”

the analysis of phone Nice killer has established that he was in intense contact with Mohamed Walid G., he has known for fifteen years, in the months before his crime. Both seemed to share some sympathy for the jihadist cause. January 10, 2015, three days after the attack against Charlie Hebdo , Mohamed Walid G. had thus sent to the future killer of Nice, the following SMS: “I am not Charlie … I ‘m glad they brought soldiers of Allah to finish the job. “

In the telephone Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, police also found several photos dating from 11 and 13 July 2016, representing the two men in the truck to be used to commit the attack . The day after the massacre, Mohamed Walid G. return elsewhere on the Promenade des Anglais to shoot, using his laptop, “the Crime Scene ” recounted the Paris prosecutor.

“load the truck”

in early 2016, the terms of acting out of Nice killer seems to have specified. April 4, Chokri C. send him a message on Facebook: “Load the truck, puts in 2,000 tons of iron, and lunch, he cut the brakes, my friend, and I look. “ According to the CCTV cameras, the author of this message has walked alongside the killer on board the truck on the Promenade des Anglais, on July 12 at 20 h 30, two days before the . attack

According to various clichés found in his phone, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel seemed interested close enough to the popular festivities: one was made at the fireworks Nice 14 in July 2015, another during a concert on the promenade des Anglais, 17 July 2015, and a third for fireworks, August 15, 2015.

Three photographs of articles suggest that killer matured his longtime project. The first, dated January 1, 2016, is entitled: “He voluntarily bearing down on the terrace of a restaurant.” A second, dated January 9 – “Man killed outside the police station Barbès is a Tunisian” – tells how a man armed with a knife appeared before the police 18 ^th arrondissement of Paris before being shot by police

Read also. “Crush it with his car”: the set Islamic State

“ADA”

Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel seems to have taken many precautions to protect his accomplices. Countless photos and SMS were found in his phone. A text message sent to his three accomplices Tunisian, July 5, and mentions “ADA”, the name of the rental company in which he had booked the same day the truck.

The investigation will now s ‘focus on whether Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, the indicted or other accomplices in connection with them “ intended to acquire more weapons, and if so, for what purpose” , said Francois Molins . It will also check if links – “not established to date” – exist between some of these suspects and organization Islamic state, which claimed responsibility for the attack.