Charged Brussels suspect may be mystery ‘man in the hat’ bomber
Faycal Cheffou, who desribed himself as a freelance journalist, was charged on Saturday with “terrorist murder” and has served time for conspiracy to murder.
“The man in the hat” is how Belgium has come to know the country’s most wanted suspect in the Brussels attacks, seen in a CCTV picture with two others who were about to blow themselves up at Brussels airport on Tuesday.
The man may be a self-styled Belgian freelance journalist called Faycal Cheffou, who was charged on Saturday with “terrorist murder” and has served time for conspiracy to murder, according to Belgian state broadcaster RTBF and other media including European media group RTL.
While his identity, obscured by a floppy sun hat, glasses and a beard in last Tuesday’s airport picture, has yet to be officially confirmed, prosecutors have arrested and charged “Faycal C”, who Belgian media say is Cheffou.
Watch: Belgium charges three men with terrorism after Brussels bombs
Police and government sources also say it is highly likely he was the third man seen at the airport. A person familiar with the investigation said that while it was not yet absolutely confirmed that Cheffou was the man, it was a very strong probability.
He was arrested right outside the federal prosecutor’s office on Thursday, “stupidly hanging around”, one person familiar with the investigation said, and detectives have been trying to figure out if he was reconnoitring the area for an attack on the heart of the investigation itself.
