Mayor Wever closes businesses affected by attacks: “As long as the links are continued, the threat will remain”
The companies that will be closed by De Wever are Bens Cars and Pokebowl Place, two companies of the targeted Borgerhout family of Jamal Ben Saddik. Several of the martial artist’s brothers are known to be drug traffickers. She is said to be involved in a conflict over a missing shipment of cocaine.
The Ben Saddik family had been repeating the distracted weeks of brutal attacks with explosives and firearms. The series of incidents began with an explosion at Ben Saddik’s parental home in Zeepraal Street on June 1. This was followed by two shelling in the Zegepraalstraat, a shelling in the De Winterstraat, shelling in the Frans Beirenslaan in Borsbeek and the Zegepraalstraat, a shelling in the Rochusstraat at Bens Car, a shelling at Poke Bowl Place on the Stenenbrug and an attack with an incendiary bomb. against the facade of Poke Bowl Place.not operationalWith the closure of Poke Bowl Place and Bens Cars, De Wever is certainly taking it for granted. Bens Cars does not have an operating license as a hand car wash and is also not operational. No story holds true for Poke Bowl Place, which would never have received a single customer. The current manager is said to have assured the city that he does not want to open the business.
To protect public safety and rust, first the mayor to not only close business but really oblige them to break all real and genuine removable ties to the previous owners. “As long as there are connections between companies and the family, there will remain a threat,” said De Wever. “In the interest of public order, we are therefore closing.”Stacks of Pancakes
De Wever is also taking measures against the El H. family, who had been attacked for two weeks by attacks with firearms and explosives. The El H. family from Berchem runs Stacks Pancakes in the Volksstraat at the South eatery. The snack bar was founded in 2019 and was already found in 2019 and 2020 from a grenade attack. In the weeks, the El H. family fell victim to shootings and attacks with fireworks bombs four times. Three events took place in Deken De Winterstraat, where the manager of Stacks Pancakes lives. On August 4, an incendiary bomb went off at Stacks Pancakes in the Volksstraat.
Here too, De Wever believes that the business poses a major risk to public safety and security. “Next to Stack is the entrance of a student residence ten rooms”, notes with De Wever.Remove links
The property owner made it clear during a city hearing that she is willing to seek a new tenant for the commercial space. The closure imposed by the mayor at least until September 15. The mayor also orders that the targeted family remove all detectable links immediately. “The signboard must be removed,” said De Wever. “But the other observable indications as a catering business must also be removed. The website must be taken offline and all mentions of addresses and openings on search websites must be removed.”
The mayor of Antwerp says he may be extending powers to include maximum safety. De Wever is requesting that the larger projects have more legal scope to take administrative action against sustainable companies. In the Netherlands, there has been a BIBOB legislation for more than twenty years, which gives local continuing powers to act against businesses that are in the hands of improved ones.
“The current possibilities for administrative enforcement are far too limited,” says De Wever. “Local attempts are really urgently getting more clout, we currently want to go to the front with an air carbine. Several years ago, I asked for steps to be taken on armed governance, such as extending closing times and providing a broader framework for dealing with rogue businesses. We make full use of the possibilities that we do have, and in Antwerp there is also a particularly good collaboration with the public prosecutor’s office to update files. But it is still waiting for a law review, and that is the best beach. Not just for starting out just like that, but first and foremost for the honest citizen who doesn’t start why shady businesses can stay open.”
The opposition parties Groen and Vlaams Belang want Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever (N-VA) to ask about the ongoing drug violence. Green asks for a thematic committee, informal Interest even for an extra Flemish city council.(jvda)