The police officer who waited to pass on information on the Belgian Jewish Museum attack to the anti-terrorism unit of the federal criminal police in Brussels was given a 2-month suspended sentence by the criminal court on Thursday.His attorney is appealing the sentence.
Immediately after pictures were broadcast showing the perpetrator seemingly taking a Kalashnikov with a folding stock out of one of his bags, a police officer working for the police informer department at the federal crime squad in Brussels received a tip from an informer saying he recognised the Kalashnikov as one sold recently in the criminal underworld.
His boss, who heard the revelation at the same time, allegedly asked him to urgently write a confidential report warning the anti-terrorism unit of the federal criminal police, but the officer took his time. The suspect, Mehdi Nemmouche, reached France in the meantime.
It was revealed eventually that the weapon described by the informer was not the one used in the attack, but the prosecutor decided however that the policeman should be charged. The policeman was given on Thursday a 2-month suspended sentence, which his lawyers Maîtres Sven De Baere and Sven Mary have already said they will be appealing.
(Source: Belga)
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