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FIVE PEOPLE DETAINED after last week’s massacre in Nice are due to appear before a judge Thursday, as France is set to pass a law extending the state of emergency.
The government is scrambling to reassure a jittery population after the country’s third major attack in 18 months killed 84 people out celebrating Bastille Day.
Four men and one woman aged between 22 and 40 are due to appear before the court for links to Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel who ploughed a truck into the crowded promenade in Nice.
They include a 40-year-old whom Bouhlel had known for a long time and a 38-year-old Albanian, detained along with his girlfriend and suspected of providing the attacker with an automatic pistol.
A 22-year-old man who received an SMS from Bouhlel shortly before he began his rampage will also appear in court, as well as another man who had been in contact with Bouhlel over weapons.
Like Bouhlel, none of those detained were known to French intelligence prior to the attack.
France’s National Assembly and Senate are also set to pass a bill extending the state of emergency – which gives police extra powers to carry out searches and place people under house arrest – for six months.
It is the fourth time the security measures have been extended since Islamic State jihadists struck Paris in November, killing 130 people at restaurants, a concert hall and the national stadium.
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MPs yesterday also voted to allow authorities to search luggage and vehicles without prior approval from a prosecutor and to allow the police to seize data from computers and mobile phones.
The legislation also makes it easier for authorities to shut down places of worship where calls for violence and hate are made.
The Islamic State group has said the Tunisian driver was one of its “soldiers” but investigators say that while he showed a recent interest in jihadist activity, there was no evidence he acted on behalf of the extremist group.
The group yesterday posted a video apparently shot in Iraq showing two French-speaking jihadists threatening more attacks against France.
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And how much is that going to cost the tax payer for yet another Government blunder?
@niall:
Our political system has long been drowning in a sea of tribunals, inquiries, commissions, investigations, hearings and probes, all of which stem from gross incompetence and/or corruption. They never amount to anything because new ones keep arriving to swamp the older ones. We tolerate it whilst foolishly trying to eliminate the root cause of it – chronyism – by electing more chronies. We’re just like 5 million hamsters on a big wheel.
The two party FF/FG cartel has to be disempowered if anything’s to change.
Reports, reviews, enquiries are what politicians do to kick the can down the road when they get into trouble, hoping people will have forgotten about the issue when they eventually come out. Lots of political reports, reviews, enquiries in ireland.
Jaysus, Lieo could have to bring Denis and Frances back. Prove them innocent, and big returns.. Who are they kidding..
Its rotten in corruption with a tribunal written all over.FG and DOB have the country destroyed.
All these broadband stories appearing online. Anyone want to send a smoke signal with the update to the rural areas?
What a farce. I wonder have enough politician’s palms been greased to get this over the line. Ireland, sure it’s it a great little island all together.
The “Independent” auditor is the one that is currently employed as the process auditor on the broadband tender for the department/government ?
Procurement and Irish government never works ..brown envelopes are to hard to turn down
If it looks like corruption and smalls like corruption, it is corruption. Shame on you minister.
Another report, yeah I wonder how that will go,Fine Gael and their cronies looking out for their fellow trough dwellers!
Might be a blessing in disguise, fixed broadband is fast becoming obsolete. Even worse if it was monopolised by one player. If the government subsidised 4g transmitters in rural areas i’m sure all the service providers would offer the service much cheaper. Then invest in 5g eventually.
Can someone tell me what he did wrong?
He had dinner with a broadband contractor/supplier which he paid €37 for and he had to leave his job because of it? Is that the jest of it?
Denis Naughton should never have resigned or been made to resign. Instead, the Government should have just gotten on with the task at hand, issued the contract and ensured that the much-needed rural broadband network was built immediately.
Will the report tell us what they had for dinner? Was it a set or tasting menu ? Was there wine pairings to match each course or perhaps a prosecco or a scotch to kick off the evening ? Did they retire to the smoking room for an Xo afterwards ? Oh I can’t wait to see
Can someone tell me what he did wrong?
He had dinner with a broadband contractor/supplier which he paid €37 for and he had to leave his job because of it? Is that the jist of it?
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