"I was sceptical when I first heard the story of the prince but I was told it was legitimate. I should have been more suspicious but I was naive," the main victim told the court this Friday morning. The court case in question revolves around a series of events that took place over three days in December 2012. Four men aged between 33 and 49 stand accused of theft, hostage taking, and kidnapping.
Victim was forced to wear jacked filled with explosives and held hostageThe 57-year-old victim was attacked and robbed in his own home before the defendants took him hostage and drove all the way to Paris.
The main victim told the court this Friday that, shortly before the hostage taking, a man had asked him if he could procure new watches. The victim replied that he could only provide older collection watches. The man then told him of a Middle Eastern prince who was an avid collector of watches. The victim then received the contact details of another individual who, it was claimed, was the chief security advisor of the prince. The victim claimed to have called and met this person in Paris. The court heard how the victim allegedly looked up the mysterious prince online and asked his colleagues for a second opinion. They believed that everything was legitimate.
He eventually received a phone call and was told that the prince wanted to meet him. Two men arrived at his home shortly later and almost immediately pulled a gun at him. They also forced him to wear a jacket filled with explosives. The suspects then obliged him to call jewelers and make an appointment for the next day. At one point, the victim was alone with one of the defendants and attempted to escape. The defendant ran after him and hit him with a barbell. The second defendant also kicked the victim in the ribs when he returned. The two men withdrew around €12,000 using the victim's credit card.
The next day, the victim was forced to procure €140,000 for the robbers and accompany them to the appointment with the other jewelers. He and other victims were pinioned and taken to the basement. One of the hostages eventually managed to break open the door and call the police. The victim's lawyer demanded €375,000 in damages.
The court case is expected to come to an end in mid-December. The next hearing takes place next week.
