Source: https://www.nieuwsblad.be
Today at 03:00 by Dirk Coosemans
Crown witness Dieumerci K. was in a Congolese cell for a long time, but the investigation would have shown that he and his entire family were misled. PHOTO: AFP
The witness in the case of the adoption fraud involving Congolese children would have been threatened with death, according to a complaint to the Brussels police. Dieumerci K. currently resides in Congo and has already received people from the entourage of the suspects there several times. The federal prosecutor’s office will investigate the complaint.
The adoption fraud case came to light four years ago. The court found that the Belgian-Congolese Julienne M., and her seven officials from the French-speaking Community in our country, would have taken at least five children from parents in Congo to be put up for adoption in Belgium. The court wants to prosecute the eight suspects for human trafficking.
One of the key witnesses in the case is Dieumerci K. He is said to have been asked by the suspects to bring his child to Belgium on the pretext that he would be allowed to go to a holiday camp there, he said. His child was ill that day, but Dieumerci, who saw the camp as an opportunity, referred the child smugglers to two family members with children. Eventually two children from Dieumerci’s family left for Belgium, they never returned.
At first the man was also a suspect – he spent a long time in a Congolese cell. But the investigation would have revealed that Dieumerci and his entire family were misled. He gave testimony that the suspects do not agree.
Protection of EU
“Since then, the man has been threatened”, it sounds in his entourage. For a long time he received protection from the European Union, which gave him money to move. But that support has now disappeared. “Dieumerci recently received a visit from the former driver of Julienne M., when he left the church,” says Roelie Post of the non-profit organization Against Child Trafficking, who has daily contact with the witness. “That man threatened Dieumerci and said they will find him. Dieumerci ran away on that. There were also death threats before. We are convinced that the suspects’ entourage will do everything possible to prevent his testimony”, says Roelie Post. “We fear for his life and hope that the European Union will offer him protection again soon. To this end, we wrote a letter to the EU ambassador and we also filed a complaint with the police in Brussels. The federal prosecutor’s office was only informed of that complaint yesterday. “We are going to investigate that”, it sounds there.
Counter complaint for defamation
Main suspect Julienne M. himself denies any involvement. “I am innocent in this whole case and have absolutely nothing to do with those so-called death threats. Dieumerci and his supporters lie. I would just like him to testify in Brussels so that I can finally prove that what he says is absolutely a lie, ”said the woman, who is now considering a counter-complaint for defamation.
Google translation from Dutch
