Justice asks the gendarmes to investigate acts committed at the Montpellier police headquarters

The events which took place on February 27 at the Montpelier police headquarters contain several gray areas. Free Midi – RICHARD DE HULLESSEN

The Montpellier criminal court entrusted the gendarmes with additional information on two police custody which took place on February 27 at the police headquarters and led to a seizure of narcotics carried out the same day.

It is rare for a lawyer to ask the courts for a police investigation targeting his client to be entrusted to the gendarmerie, and even less so for him to obtain satisfaction. This Monday, March 25, the criminal court ordered that the gendarmerie be responsible for additional information concerning events which took place at the Montpellier police headquarters on February 27.

That day, around 6:30 p.m., the police arrested a 27-year-old from Montpellier, near an Alco fast-food restaurant. Houssama rebels and injures two officials before being subdued. Nearly 10 kg of cannabis resin were found in his vehicle.

According to the police, it was anonymous information that put them on the trail of Houssama. But according to the latter, it was Aziz (*), one of his acquaintances, who placed him an order for narcotics, by an SMS sent around 4 p.m., giving him an appointment at Alco around 6 p.m. Where the police were waiting to catch him in the act…

Surprisingly, Aziz was in police custody at the Police Headquarters at the time he allegedly sent this message. Another disturbing fact: he was interviewed by the drug squad, when he was suspected of concealment of car theft.

Other gray areas were highlighted during the trial, which took place this Monday, March 25, at the Montpellier Criminal Court. Houssama states that he did not recover any of his two mobile phones after his custody, and Aziz says that only one out of two was returned to him.< /p>

"Entrapment"

Another question asked by Me Marc Gallix, Houssama's lawyer: "Why was there no exploitation of these telephones, when it’ is commonplace in drug cases ? And why did these phones disappear, when they should have been recorded, like all the other elements seized during the search ?".

For him, there is little doubt: "the police used the telephone of the person in custody to set a trap for my client. There has never been any anonymous information.

"This is only the second time in my life that I have pleaded entrapment,” the lawyer told the judges. Adding that "the fight against drug trafficking does not authorize everything". He asked that additional information be ordered and entrusted to the gendarmerie.

"We can have doubts about the police but we cannot say that they are guilty, replied Alexia Diot, on behalf of the prosecutor. It is the defendant who says he was contacted by telephone by the witness. Someone pretending to be the latter could also have called on him. All of this could have been verified. I request the use of the defendant's cell phone, but also that we leave this matter to the police.

Convicted 27 times

It was only partially heard, since the court, chaired by Alix Fredon, entrusted this additional information to the gendarmes. They will have to investigate the actions of police custody concerning the two individuals.

Before the judges, Aziz denied having sent a message to the defendant. It will be heard again by the police.

Houssama has a heavy pedigree, since he has 27 convictions. The last is also the most severe, since he received five years of imprisonment in 2021, notably for aggravated theft as a repeat offender. Placed under judicial supervision upon his release, he was wearing an electronic bracelet when he was arrested on February 27. He has been in pre-trial detention since that day.

The public prosecutor obtained his stay behind bars "in view of the risk of flight or reiteration", while awaiting his trial. This was set in a month. Time to allow the gendarmes to carry out their investigations.

*The first name has been changed I subscribe to read more