Suspected killer of Parisian Jew arrested
Youssouf Fofana, a French citizen, has been arrested in the Ivory Coast and charged with being the leader of the gang that kidnapped and murdered French Jew Ilan Halimi. The Jerusalem Post reports this morning that Fofana was arrested in the Ivory Coast on Thursday and will be returned immediately to France to face charges.Fofana was arrested late Wednesday night in Abidjan's northern suburb of Abobo, police in Abidjan and Paris said. He had flown to Ivory Coast on a commercial flight days after the discovery of Halimi's body.
At first three, and then seven members of the gang were taken into custody for questioning. Fofana, 25, their leader, managed to escape investigators. He simply bought a ticket to Abidjan and flew to the Ivory Coast under his own name.
According to the police, Fofana - who likes to call himself "Brain of Barbarians" - is a Muslim of African origin, like some members of his group. Others are second generation immigrants - Arabs from North Africa and others from the French Antilles and Portugal, and some are from families that have long lived in France.
...Sources in Abidjan said that Fofana admitted his participation to the kidnapping of Ilan, but denied any anti-Semitic intention.
Police said that during the investigation, some of the suspects said they had indeed chosen Halimi as their victim "because Jews are rich, and if they are not, their community will pay for their release." One of the youngest members of the gang, aged 16, reportedly admitted having tortured Ilan with a burning cigarette because the young man was Jewish. He also reportedly admitted having extinguished a cigarette on Halimi's forehead "because he was bothering me."
The investigating judge, having heard the testimony of the first suspects, issued an arrest order for kidnapping and murder, including the aggravating circumstance of anti-Semitism.
Also yesterday, a memorial service took place in a Parisian synagogue to mark the conclusion of Halimi's shiva period.
The ceremony was attended by France's Chief Rabbi, Joseph Sitruk, who called on all Frenchmen, Jews and non-Jews alike, to participate in ceremonies held in memory of Halimi throughout France. President Jacques Chirac and Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin were also at the ceremony at the Victoire Synagogue.
This is the most curious part of this case....
The Paris prosecutor revealed Halimi's case to the media on February 14, the day after he died. He said then that "no element of the current investigation could link this murder to an anti-Semitic declaration or action." The Jewish community did not believe him, and was already buzzing with rumors that other Jews had been abducted after dating blonde women.
If anyone believes that Halimi's murder was 'not linked to anti-Semitism,' I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell them.
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:00 PM
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