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Article appeared on the 18/05/2002

 

HIGH PYRENEES: Thirteen persons sent back in front of the court

The curly affair of plane trees

  Thirteen of 26 members of the 2 commando groups which, 26 June then August 8, 2001, had cut with chain saws several dozens plane trees on the CD 934, among Rabastens-de-Bigorre and Vic-in - Bigorre, will be soon sent back in front of Tarbes's court dealing with criminal matters.

  On April 29, in the term of the judicial information opened on August 27, 2001 by the parquet(public prosecutor's department) against X leaders of deterioration of trees to the detriment of the General Council and of the stake in danger of the life of others, committing magistrate Catherine Katz buckled(curled) definitively his inquiry by signing the prescription of dismissal and partial lack of evidence for a part of the indicted.

  On June 26, 2001, at 2. 45, the fire brigades of the Codis de Bordères-on - l'Echez receive past two phone calls of phone boxes situated to Maubourguet and Camalès indicating them that several plane trees have just been cut. One hour later, the policemen of Pouyastruc count effectively that 93 trees were well and truly the target of a singular commando group. Each of the trees is besides marked with a white cross. In any beginning of morning, the gesture is claimed by letter to " Depeche du midi". The commando group baptized " Has a good laugh 75-21 ", in reference to the average expectation of life of a man and to Charles Dours's age. Native of Artagnan, this young man, 21-year-old, had died, on June 20, on this road, having struck an agricultural machine in the guidon of his motorcycle. By its gesture, the commando group heard denouncing the dangerosité of trees in border of road and to incite to their slaughter.

  " AN ORGANIZED AND STRATEGIC ACTION "

Less than two months later, in the night from 7 till 8 August 2001, 66 other plane trees were again cut. But the name of the commando group claiming the operation changed. The members of this second group baptized CAP(VOCATIONAL TRAINING QUALIFICATION) (Commando group anti-plane trees). At once, one of the responsibles for the first commando group denied(contradicted) the participation of " its men "(people) in this operation.

  After several weeks of inquiry, checks of phone calls given by members presumed commando groups but also by verifying the journalistic communications, the policemen go, on October 8, 2001, throw a large-scale operation. 12 persons are placed in police custody. Chain saws are seized. And the languages begin to loosen. " The action of the first commando group, notes the examining magistrate, was organized and strategic. " So on the 23 persons being a part of the first commando group, 12 cut trees, 7 applied the painting and 3 played the role of drivers and lookouts. As for the commando group CAP, it consisted only of 3 men, among whom 2 had been a part of " Has a good laugh 75-21 ".

  At the conclusion of these two acts, which their authors all asserted regretting in front of the examining magistrate during the hearings, the General Council had had to make proceed to the slaughter of about 200 trees. An operation which the local government heard, when it lodged, indeed to charge in the members of commando groups.

  Bruno HUET.