A security guard who worked at a Belgian nuclear research centre was murdered and allegedly had his security pass stolen, just two days after the Brussels terror attacks.
Didier Prospero, a security guard from the G4S international security firm, was shot several times in the bathroom of his home in the Charleroi region of Belgium. His body was found lying next to that of his dog, who had also been shot dead.
The Belgian prosecutor investigating the murder has “formally denied” any connection between the case and terrorist activity.
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The prosecutor also denied earlier media reports that Prospero’s access badge had been stolen and said was in charge of security for a nuclear research centre at Fleurus. Media had said he worked at a nuclear power plant.
RT reports: Prospero was found dead in the bathroom at his home in Froidchapelle by his three children as they returned from school on Thursday. He was shot four times and his dog was also killed. He was in charge of security at the IRE ELiT that specializes in production of radiochemical and radiopharmaceutical products as well as in radioactivity analysis.
The case is being handled by criminal investigators while anti-terror specialists are not involved, Belga reports. According to the local Derniere Heure newspaper, the investigation is working on two tracks: a burglary gone wrong and a crime related to the personal affairs of the victim.
In the meantime, officials from the Belgian Electrabel energy company that runs the neighboring Charleroi nuclear power plant stated that its personnel is not affected by the incident.
“No personnel of Electrabel or one of its sub-contractors working on sites was murdered this week,” a company official said as quoted by the Derniere Heure. The company representative also stressed that authorization needed to get access to the nuclear site is issued by the National Security Authority and, in case of death, all clearances are immediately removed.
Earlier on Thursday, Derniere Heure reported that Prospero was a member of a nuclear power plant staff and that his security pass was stolen.
The paper also recently reported that Brussels suicide bombers Khalid and Ibrahim El Bakraoui were planning attacks on Belgian nuclear power stations and that the arrest of Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam had accelerated the plans of the terrorists.
The brothers reportedly planted a hidden camera in front of the home of the director of the Belgian nuclear research program. The footage with “dozens of hours” of the movements of Belgium’s nuclear boss was seized during an anti-terrorist raid in the apartment of another suspect belonging to the same terror cell, Mohammed Bakkali.
Similar information, but without the names of Brussels suicide bombers was published in DH in February.
Shortly after the attacks in Brussels, personnel from Belgium’s two nuclear power stations in Doel and in Tihange were evacuated.
Security has been stepped up at both Doel power plant in Antwerp which houses four reactors, and Tihange, which houses three.
Niamh Harris
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