Brussels- The son of a Dutch preacher residing in Belgium has plotted to carry out an attack that was supposed to target police officers in Verviers, near the borders between Belgium and Netherlands, according to what was revealed by the investigation conducted by the Belgian authorities with a 17 year-old, who was arrested in 2016 after posting a video on social media and encouraging on killing Christians.
According to the Belgian TV station “RTL,” which said it was able to review one of the documents related to the detainee’s statements during the investigation last year.
An order was issued back then to place the son of Imam El Alami Amaouch, who is described by the Belgian media as an advocate of hatred, in detention center for young people.
Investigators analyzed the boy’s e-mails and found contacts with people who had gone to fight in Syria.
In the course of the investigations with the teenage, he said that he was in contact with one of the extremists in Verviers and his name was Tariq. He also told the investigators that talks were made about the possibility of carrying out attacks targeting police and killing them.
“In brief, we were about to carry out an attack, and I was under the influence of that man at that time,” the detainee said.
In early December 2016, the Moroccan-Dutch imam left Belgium and went to Morocco just few days before the deadline given to him by the Belgian authorities to leave the country voluntarily instead of forcing him to return to the Netherlands.
Amaouch was accused by the authorities of inciting hatred in his religious sermons and having an impact on people involved in terrorist acts. Earlier, the Dutch authorities said they would monitor his movements if he returned.
Theo Francken, Belgium’s Minister for Asylum and Migration, said the authorities had repeatedly tried to extradite Amaouch to the Netherlands but his appeal had delayed proceedings.
“We have been trying to get him out of the country for the past year but he has appealed. I can only hope that the Aliens’ Council deports him quickly”, Francken said.
Francken says that the imam was the “spiritual father” of a terrorist cell in Verviers, adding, “It seems that it runs in the family”.