Published
DramaA tax officer killed during a control in the north of France
A tax official was killed “several stab wounds” during a tax audit in northern France by a second-hand dealer who then killed himself.
The Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, announced the death of the agent in the middle of the evening before the Senate.
AFP
A 43-year-old tax official was killed on Tuesday following being kidnapped with a colleague as part of a tax audit at a second-hand goods dealer in Bullecourt (Pas-de-Calais), who then killed himself.
“This man was simply doing his job (…) Today, he did not come back. He was killed as part of this tax audit, ”said the Minister of Public Accounts, Gabriel Attal, who spoke in the middle of the evening before the Senate. The victim, a 43-year-old man, was head of the verification brigade in Pas-de-Calais, he said.
“Unspeakable Drama”
The man was killed “several stab wounds”, had previously indicated a source close to the investigation. “A woman, tax inspector”, was also found at the home of the junk dealer, “tied to a chair and deeply shocked”, added this source.
The junk dealer for his part “committed suicide”, indicated a second source close to the investigation, according to which the public finance officer and his colleague were sequestered at the home of the junk dealer. “At the time of the arrival of the gendarmes, the two men were dead”, she specified, stressing that the gendarmerie had been warned “by a witness”. The research section of the Hauts-de-France gendarmerie was seized.
“A normal person”
The second-hand dealer, divorced and father of two children, “had arrived in the village four years ago”, told AFP the mayor of the village, Éric Bianchin. “He had bought a farm in rue de Quéant, where he was selling at home. He emptied houses, garage sales and resold at home, ”he added, his eyes moist behind his glasses.
“It’s a small village, everyone knows each other. I never had a problem with him, he was helpful, he was a regular person. He was integrated into the village,” continued the mayor. According to him, the inhabitants “saw him very little”, because “he left very early in the morning for his activity”
The colleagues of the victim, who worked for “the departmental directorate of public finances (DDFIP) of Pas-de-Calais and more broadly all public finance officers are this evening upset and in mourning”, declared Mr. Attal before the Senate, evoking “an unspeakable drama”. He said he would go to the DDFIP in Arras on Tuesday morning. He is expected there at 11:30 a.m.
“Tribute”
“Tonight, the public service has the face of this brigade leader”, he insisted, before inviting a moment of meditation “in his homage”. Called around 7:00 p.m., the firefighters confirmed at the start of the evening “two deceased in Bullecourt and one injured, regarding to be transported”, specifying that the intervention was “still in progress”.
Around 11:00 p.m., the gendarmes were still deployed in the village of Bullecourt, deserted that evening, blocking the street from the second-hand dealer’s home, noted an AFP journalist. The village of 250 inhabitants, made up of brick houses, is located south of Arras.
The public prosecutor of Arras was to publish a press release in the evening. Contacted by AFP, the prefecture and the gendarmes did not follow up, in particular to specify the circumstances of the tragedy, pending this communication from the prosecution.
(AFP)
