The man who alerted the police of the murder committed by his friend on the night of 10 April 2018 was heard by the Brussels Assize Court on Friday.
Two partners in a telecommunications company, Ludovic Lefèbvre (38) and Tanguy Lecocq (48), are on trial for the murder of their employee, Hakim Menhal. The victim was strangled with a cable while watching a football match in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre.
According to Lefèbvre – who confessed to the crime – Lecocq had convinced him that Menhal was the source of their financial troubles.
'Keep this to yourself'
The man who triggered the launch of the investigation on 11 April 2018 spoke before the Brussels court on Friday. He alerted the police after receiving a call from Ludovic Lefèbvre, during which Lefèbvre showed him what looked like a human body wrapped in a tarpaulin.
"Ludovic asked me to come to his house because he needed help, and I told him I couldn't because I was at work," the friend explained in court, adding that Lefèbvre had been drinking and "wasn't himself".
"He switched on the video mode and I saw a blue tarpaulin that looked like it contained a body. He said to me ‘keep this to yourself’, then told me it was a joke, but I didn't believe him and called the police," he continued.
"I just find it sad. I suppose he regrets it, but I did my duty as a citizen," the man added "I think he called me because he knew I would call the police."
Other friends of the two men on trial were heard on Thursday. While one of Lecoq's friends described him as "diligent and confident, but also calm and sensitive", Lefèbvre was described as "not aggressive or violent".
'I admit it'
Lefèbvre admitted to the crime after the police found the body in his bathroom in the early hours of 11 April 2018. "Mr. Lefèbvre immediately said to us: It's me, I admit it, but please look after my dog," a police officer who was on the scene told the court on Monday.
However, Lefèbvre accused Lecocq of being the criminal mastermind and of drugging Menhal with a cocktail of sleeping pills. Lecocq has denied any involvement, claiming that when he left Lefèbvre's home after the end of the match, Menhal was still alive.
On Tuesday, investigators revealed that the adhesive and tarpaulin used to wrap up the victim's body matched purchases made by Lecocq on 10 April 2018. Lecocq claims the purchases were not intended for a crime.
