The Belgian Prosecutor’s Office has announced the arrest of an individual who allegedly planned to attack the Miss Belgium pageant, held this past Saturday. He is charged with attempted terrorist murder.
The arrest of the suspect, identified as Peter C. and born in 1976, took place at around 17.30 hours on Saturday in the coastal municipality of De Panne, in the west of the country.
Peter C. was arrested in possession of a firearm and a bulletproof vest, the latter in his vehicle, shortly before he was due to head to the Plopsaland theme park, the usual venue for the contest.
The individual was accompanied by a Dutch woman. Neither Peter C.’s motives have been clarified nor is it known whether the woman was aware of his plans, according to the statement.
The case remains in the hands of a magistrate in the district of West Flanders. For the time being he has issued a pre-trial detention on charges of attempted terrorist murder and will have to appear within five days before the Bruges District Court.
The examining magistrate has yet to decide on the woman who was accompanying the suspect at the time of his arrest, the Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
The Belgian public broadcaster RTBF has confirmed that the security services of the contest were aware of the threat, so the contest was slightly delayed while the police began a search of the site.
«We have looked even at the winner’s throne,» confirmed the president of the Miss Belgium national committee, Darline Devos. The gala passed without major incidents.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
