HIBAPRESS – Abdellatif El Baz
The case of the killing of the Moroccan youth, Abd al-Rahim al-Mansouri, 28 years old, is witnessing a remarkable judicial development in the city of Milan, after the Public Prosecution decided to expand the investigation and prosecute four additional police officers, in addition to the police officer who fired the fatal shot, bringing the number of those being prosecuted to five.
According to what was reported by the Ansa agency and the newspaper La Repubblica, the four elements face charges related to covering up and not providing assistance, against the backdrop of suspicion of irregularities during the security intervention that took place on the night of January 26 in the Rogoredo neighborhood, which resulted in the victim being shot in the head during an anti-drug operation. The initial investigations revealed suspicions of a delay in calling the ambulance by about 20 minutes, in addition to recording discrepancies in the statements of some police officers regarding the sequence of events, which reinforced the hypothesis of intentional killing against the police officer who initiated the shooting. Questions are also raised about the extent to which the legal controls regulating the use of official weapons in such operations are respected. In the context of deepening the research, the Public Prosecution ordered a detailed autopsy of the body and a detailed ballistic expertise to determine the firing distance and the angle of the injury, in a step that aims to make a scientific decision on the circumstances of the incident and accurately determine responsibilities. In contrast, the defense body of the victim's family rejects the narrative that speaks of legitimate self-defense, demanding full disclosure of the truth and the arrangement of the resulting legal effects. The case that shook Italian public opinion also sparked a wide reaction among the Moroccan community in Italy, which called for a transparent and independent investigation that guarantees that there will be no impunity if the charges are proven. The judicial procedures continue under the supervision of the Public Prosecution in Milan, pending the results of the technical expertise and the final hearing of all parties, in a file that is one of the most prominent security issues that has been occupying the Italian arena recently.
