Rebound in the night from Saturday to Sunday in the investigation into the fire of the cathedral of Nantes (Loire-Atlantique). While he had been released after his placement in police custody last Sunday, the diocese volunteer was again arrested on Saturday morning and indicted in the evening. He was remanded in custody overnight after confessing before the judge. Back to the elements that led to the arrest of this 39-year-old man.
The 1st custody after an email
Three fires had been detected after the fire which damaged the cathedral, in particular destroying its great organ dating from the 17th century. Quickly the hypothesis of a criminal act is raised. The next day, Sunday July 19, Emmanuel A., a 39-year-old refugee from Rwanda, was taken into custody. Arrived in France in 2012 and living in Nantes for several years, he is part of a team of volunteers in the service of the parish.
It is an email that he sent to the entire diocese the morning before the fire which prompts the investigators to take him into custody that day. In his message, the man, whom the whole parish knows and appreciates, evokes his discomfort and his fed up after the non-renewal of his visa. In delicacy with the prefecture, he would be subject to an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF).
But Emmanuel A. denies, and the first analyzes of the video surveillance give nothing. Especially the accidental trail also continues to be explored. Around 9 p.m. on Sunday July 19, he was released from custody.
Traces of hydrocarbons
Three fire starts had been observed the same day of the disaster in the building, one at the level of the organ and two, on either side of the nave. The hypothesis of a short-circuit common to all the electrical installations of the cathedral, a potential scenario which has already been seen in other fires, is in particular studied.
But Thursday and Friday, the experts return their analyzes. This is not an electrical failure: traces of hydrocarbon were found on site. The accidental trail is definitely abandoned for that of the criminal act.
Consequently, no trace of break-in having been found on the doors of the cathedral, the volunteer who held the keys becomes suspect again. He is again taken into custody on Saturday.
He leaves the cathedral 10 minutes before the call to the fire brigade
In addition to traces of hydrocarbon, investigators now have another key element: video surveillance. On images that were not in their possession a week ago, Emmanuel A. can be seen leaving the cathedral 10 minutes after the call received by firefighters reporting flames in the cathedral.
Other images reveal that the volunteer traveled back and forth all day between the cathedral and his home. However, the latter had assured that once he left home he had not returned.
No confession in police custody but before the judge
On Saturday, during his custody, the volunteer continued to deny the facts, despite the new elements in the possession of investigators. He stammered but held on. It was only once before the judge that Emmanuel A. broke down. On the advice of his lawyer, he ended up admitting to being at the origin of the three starts of fire.
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He is indicted "on charges of destruction and damage by fire and placed in pre-trial detention by the judge of freedoms and detention," said the prosecutor in a statement. He was remanded in custody afterwards.
VIDEO. Fire at Nantes Cathedral: "It was something terrible to see"
