They were certainly equipped for a dirty business. Two Kalashnikovs loaded in the trunk of a van, bottles of gasoline to set the vehicles on fire, two layers of clothing to quickly change their appearance: six men were on trial Wednesday in Marseille, accused of having planned a settling of scores.
Everything seemed ready on July 4, 2019 shortly before midnight, in the dead end of a residence in the Phocaean city, for an organized gang murder. But, alerted by a merry-go-round of vehicles, a local resident, an off-duty policeman, had called his colleagues from the anti-crime squad. Upon their arrival, the police spotted a man in shorts, electronic ankle bracelet, sitting on a rock next to a make-up motorcycle and scooter. Then they witnessed the arrival of a white utility vehicle.
“We must smoke them”
Hidden in a bush, a policeman twice heard one of the suspects throwing: “That’s a good team, you have to smoke them”. According to an anonymous intelligence, the “target” was a certain “Dadino”, “boss” of stupid points in the northern districts. While he may have escaped death that day, he was killed in a settling of scores some time later, and that file has still not been clarified.
Referring to a “criminal association file in flag”, prosecutor Sophie Couillaud called on the criminal court “to take the measure of the seriousness of the facts prepared by this very organized, heavily armed team, made up of individuals all known to the justice ”.
Lawyers plead for acquittal, two suspects on the run in Tunisia
“Their planned murder in an organized gang was ready to be carried out in the hour which followed, without the accidental intervention of the police officers”, she insisted, asking for ten years of prison, with a period of safety two-thirds, against Diego Cortes, 40, the driver of the utility vehicle in which the weapons were located. The defendant, then on parole, explained that he only came to pick up his motorcycle.
Eight years in prison and a fine of 8,000 euros have been claimed against Bilel Boughamni, 27, designated as the lookout. A man, who had managed to escape, had dropped in his flight a hood bearing the DNA of a certain Scander Bouzidi, 35, now a refugee in Tunisia. Twelve years in prison with a two-thirds security measure were required against him, as well as an arrest warrant. Two to five years in prison were required against the other three defendants. Throughout the investigation, defendants claimed that police reports did not reflect reality. Their lawyers pleaded for their release.