| Brussels, Belgium A man who killed |
| five people and himself in a gun and
grenade attack in Belgium feared going back to prison and losing the
life he had built, his lawyer said Thursday. The attack on a crowded market square in Liege Tuesday by Nourdine Amrani, which also left at least 130 people wounded, shocked the nation. His defense lawyer in Liege, Jean-Francois Dister, told CNN Amrani had called him late Monday and early Tuesday after the police called him in for interview Tuesday afternoon over a sexual assault case. It wasn't so much life in prison that bothered him -- he'd served time already -- but it was he'd rebuilt his life on the outside, and he was worried about losing all this, Dister said. The lawyer said he was stunned when he heard later that day that Amrani, whom he had known for two-and-a-half years, was responsible for the grenade attack. Video shows aftermath of Belgium attack "It's very shocking. I don't understand the reason why he did this, and I think I will probably never understand, he said. Nonetheless, Dister's comments give the first real insight into what might have motivated Amrani to go on a rampage that targeted people waiting at a bus stop by a busy Christmas market. After the attack, police also found a dead woman in a residence next to a workshop where Amrani once grew marijuana, a local police spokesman said Wednesday. Amrani had previously served time in prison for rape and drug trafficking offenses, his lawyer said. He was released last year. Dister said Amrani was also convicted on weapons charges in 2008 but later acquitted. Liege authorities have not said he was cleared on those counts. Liege prosecutor Danielle Reynders told CNN Wednesday that the police interview involved a sexual assault case, rather than a rumored rape allegation. Because Amrani was convicted of rape in 2003, police obviously regarded him as a person of interest," Dister said. Dister said his client, who had a Belgian partner whom Dister had met several times, feared losing everything. He was someone that was integrated into society. He felt Belgian. I'm not sure if he was a practicing Muslim but he knew about his culture and his roots," Dister said. When things were going well for him he was very pleasant and good-natured. I never had problems with him. But, that said, sometimes when legal proceedings were dragging on, or he was accused of things he claimed (he) was not responsible for he could become annoyed and agitated -- but it was in words only. Dister said Amrani did not to his knowledge take drugs and had not been charged with drugs use. Authorities will conduct an autopsy in part to see whether Amrani was under the influence of drugs during the attack, said a senior Belgian security source who has been briefed on the investigation but did not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media. It is not yet clear how Amrani, who Reynders said was a Brussels-born Belgian citizen of Moroccan descent, obtained the pistol, semi-automatic rifle and three grenades he used in the attack. Katrin Delcourt, a spokeswoman for the provincial governor's office, described Amrani Wednesday as having significant gunsmith and firearms skills. For a period up to 2008, he held a French hunting license under which he bought at least one weapon, she said, but that license was revoked as a result of the police investigation that led to his conviction on arms and drugs trafficking offenses in 2008. The weapons he owned then were destroyed and police are continuing to investigate whether the arms used in Tuesday's attack were bought on the black market, Delcourt said. One of the weapons he had, a light automatic rifle, is a standard weapon in the Belgian army, she said. Amrani left no explanation for his actions, investigators have said. |
| Husky bites two weeks old baby death |
| A two week old baby was mauled to death by the dog's parents. The girl was attacked yesterday by the husky and died tonight from injuries. That the police in the place Schmallenberg, east of Cologne, reported today. The owners have the dog euthanized. The police are investigating whether the parents of the baby negligent |
| Directors hold money back 7.2 million euro fine for Green Choice |
| The Dutch Competition Authority (NMa) imposes utility Greenchoice a fine of 7.2 million euros. This is the opening of Allegiance. The company provides renewable energy. Green Choice has a total of eight million euros withheld from customers. It is the NMa to thousands of employees that any final order of the management withheld. The management of Green Choice starts immediately off. All the money has been paid to the injured clients. Within two months The NMa checked or Green Choice customers within two months after switching to another supplier had sent a final bill. It appears that in the period March 2005 to March 2011 in more than 20 percent of cases happen in time. More than half of the final accounts in this group was not sent. We recognize the late submission, but we regret that - despite the fact that everything is restored - the NMa will still need such a large penalty to impose," said Green Choice in a reaction. People who were owed money by the company have all been paid, including interest. Customers who have had to pay extra, do not do more. |
| Man drives drunk to justice |
| AMSTERDAM Police in Roermond a drunken
driver of a microcar arrested .. The man was on his way to a seat of
justice. He had to avoid because he had already been caught drunk
behind the wheel. The last time the police took away his license, log L1. The 58-year-old man had a fine time for drunk driving and because he was driving without a license. The planned meeting was postponed. Soon he must re-occur |