THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 INTERNATIONAL S Africa arrests three over break-in at top judge’s office JOHANNESBURG: South Africa’s police scathing ruling against the ANC govern- stolen equipment had not been recov- ing other computers and valuables party have accused Intelligence Minister chief said yesterday three men had been ment over welfare payments. ered. The suspects were due to appear behind. Phahlane told journalists that David Mahlobo as having a hand in the arrested over a mysterious weekend The computers containing sensitive in court yesterday. the arrested men appeared to be “just break-in. President Jacob Zuma’s govern- break-in at the offices of the country’s information about 250 judges were Mogoeng’s welfare ruling slammed criminals.” “The outcry and outrage of ment has been hit by multiple corrup- top judge, where 15 computers were stolen on Saturday during a burglary at the “extraordinary conduct” of ministers, citizens over this incident is justified tion scandals and court setbacks. The stolen. The crime caused a public and Mogoeng’s offices in Johannesburg. saying they had shown no interest in because brazen criminals targeted the African National Congress, which led the political storm with the opposition call- Police chief Khomotso Phahlane said solving a contractual dispute that put at office of the highest judicial officer in struggle against apartheid, came to ing it a attack on the judicial system, as the suspects were arrested over the risk payments to millions of South our country.” power in 1994 under Nelson Mandela the theft occurred hours after the past few days in Mamelodi, a township Africa’s poorest citizens. The burglars Senior opposition Democratic but has lost support in recent years, suf- Constitutional Court headed by Chief outside the capital Pretoria.He said reportedly only took computers from Alliance lawmaker John Steenhuisen and fering its worst election results in local Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng delivered a more arrests were expected and the the human resources department, leav- the radical Economic Freedom Fighters polls last year.—AFP Belgium falls silent one year after Brussels attacks Families of victims respond attacks with dignity BRUSSELS: Belgium fell silent yesterday also my birthday-nothing to celebrate, a year ago, Belgium’s king and queen led a station and emergency vehicles set off to mark the first anniversary of the Islamic and yet love triumphs,” Kristin Verellen, moment’s silence before an airport official their sirens. EU leaders including the State suicide attacks in Brussels that killed whose 58-year-old partner Johan died in read out the names of the dead. bloc’s president Donald Tusk and 32 people, on a day of emotional cere- the metro attack, told the crowd at Musician Eddy Van Calster played a European Commission chief Jean-Claude monies designed to show that the heart Maalbeek. Premier Michel said Belgium, rock ballad in tribute to his sister Juncker attended the opening of the new of Europe is still beating. A somber King which faced accusations after the bomb- Fabienne Van Steenkiste, a check-in memorial to the victims, which consists PARIS: Outgoing French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux, right, shakes hands Philippe and Queen Mathilde, along with ings of being a “failed state” for not stop- counter agent who was among those of two pieces of curved steel punctured with his successor in office Matthias Fekl during a handover ceremony at the Prime Minister Charles Michel, led cere- ping the terror cell despite several killed. At Maalbeek, there was another with holes to look like shrapnel. Interior Ministry in Paris yesterday. —AFP monies at Zavantem airport and chances, stood strong one year on. moment of quiet at 9.11 am, the time Later, children from schools in Maalbeek metro station to commemo- “Today we remember the victims of that Ibrahim’s brother Khalid El Bakraoui Molenbeek, the largely Muslim area rate the victims at the exact moments the the attacks. We all remain united,” Michel detonated his bomb on a crowded train where many of the attackers hailed from, French minister resigns over bombers struck. The king said Belgium tweeted. The ceremonies began at exactly and killed another 16 people. The king will meet victims of the attacks in a show had stayed united after the attacks, and 7.58 am (0658 GMT) when suicide laid a wreath before a subway wall of solidarity. There will also be peace probe into daughters’ jobs told families of the victims they had bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim scrawled with anguished messages from marches through Brussels while the city’s responded to the “deadly madness” of the Laachraoui struck in the departure hall of loved ones and stamped with a red heart. most famous landmark-the Manneken PARIS: French Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux doing a full-time internship in Belgium while attacks with “dignity”. Zavantem Airport on March 22, 2016, Shortly afterwards the applause rang Pis statue of a little boy-will be dressed up resigned Tuesday a few hours after prosecu- the other was studying in an intensive class. Watched by relatives and survivors, killing 16 people. With hundreds of people out on metro trains across the capital, in a fireman’s outfit to hail the efforts of tors opened an investigation into a report that Le Roux’s daughters, now 23 and 20, allegedly the royals also unveiled a new stainless gathered under a clear sky just like that of while cars honked their horns outside the rescue services. —AFP he hired his two daughters for a series of tem- started working as parliamentary aides for steel memorial near the European porary parliamentary jobs, starting when they their father over short vacation contracts Union’s headquarters to the dead and the were 15 and 16 years old. President Francois when they were 15 and 16 and Le Roux was a more than 320 wounded in Belgium’s Hollande said he had accepted Le Roux’s resig- lawmaker in the French National Assembly. worst ever peacetime attacks. “It is the nation after a meeting with Prime Minister “These temporary and official contracts, in responsibility of each and every one of us Bernard Cazeneuve at the Elysee Palace. He accordance with the legal rules of the to make our society more humane and named the country’s low-profile trade and National Assembly, all corresponded, of more just,” King Philippe said in a speech tourism minister, Matthias Fekl, as the new course, to work actually carried out,” Le Roux, a at the memorial. “And above all, let us interior minister. member of the Socialist Party, insisted as he dare to be tender.” France’s national financial prosecutor’s announced his resignation from Bobigny, a In an act of defiance and solidarity, office opened a preliminary investigation suburb outside Paris. trams and buses ground to a halt across Tuesday after TMC television reported Monday A similar scandal around employing family the Belgian capital and commuters and night that Le Roux employed his daughters as members has deeply damaged conservative public transport workers applauded dur- parliamentary assistants for a total salary Francois Fillon’s presidential bid. Fillon was ing a “minute of noise”. A year on from the amount of 55,000 euros ($59,000) over 24 handed preliminary charges last week for attacks led by an Islamic State cell that short contracts. The office said the preliminary allegedly using taxpayers’ money to pay fami- was also responsible for the November investigation into the facts disclosed in the TV ly members - his wife and two children - for 2015 Paris attacks, Belgium remains on program is being led by the French police jobs that may not have existed. Left-wing high alert with troops patrolling the agency charged with fighting corruption and politicians pointed out that Le Roux resigned streets and warnings of fresh risks. financial and tax wrongdoing. While it is legal as soon as the preliminary investigation had in France for politicians to hire family mem- been launched, while Fillon decided to keep Love triumphs bers, the TMC report suggests that Le Roux’s campaigning although he has been handed But relatives of the victims called for daughters did not perform all of the work. serious charges, including misuse of public solidarity. “I would like to speak for all BRUSSELS: Belgium’s King Philippe, center left, lays a wreath on a memorial during a one-year During some of their contracts as parlia- funds, receiving money from a misuse of pub- those affected by the blind violence from anniversary service in Brussels yesterday. —AP mentary aides, one of the daughters was lic funds and company assets. —AP up close and afar. The 22nd of March is French voters adrift as unconventional election looms PARIS: One month before the French cast their first votes half of likely voters say they could still change their minds. for president, mainstream parties are battling for relevance As Pascal Perrineau, head of political research at Sciences Po as anti-establishment candidates such as Marine Le Pen university, put it: “The French are not happy with the cast of come to the fore. The far-right Le Pen shares pole position characters.” in the run-up to the April 23 first round with Emmanuel Macron, who professes to be neither left nor right. Threat of jihadist attacks Polls show that Macron, 39, would rout the 48-year-old A re-election bid by former right-wing president Nicolas Le Pen in the decisive run-off on May 7 if the election were Sarkozy was thwarted by voters’ desire for change, but his held today. Both have tapped into a deep vein of discontent Socialist successor Francois Hollande’s failure to deliver has over politics as usual after successive governments, both made him one of France’s most unpopular presidents ever.