The national anti-terrorism prosecution announced that it had opened a preliminary investigation on Tuesday for “attempted assassinations in connection with a terrorist enterprise”, after “the explosion which affected the vehicle occupied by a crew of five French”, on the Dakar 2022 in Saudi Arabia.
Philippe Boutron was unable to take the start of the Dakar 2022. The French driver was seriously injured Thursday, December 30 in a vehicle explosion two days before taking part in the rally in Saudi Arabia. Her team had indicated that they were certain it was an attack.
Currently at the military hospital of Clamart (Hauts-de-Seine), where he was urgently repatriated aboard a medical plane on Monday, the president of the US Orléans football club, aged 61 , was seriously injured in the legs when the vehicle he was driving exploded, in which six people were in.
He has already undergone several operations at the military hospital in Jeddah and was plunged into an artificial coma “to avoid him too much suffering”, told France Bleu Marie-France Estenave, press attaché for the Sodicars Racing team. . According to some of his relatives, he even risks amputation.
“It’s a load” that exploded, according to the boss of Sodicars Racing
“At first they thought something had hit their car, but there was a big impact under the car’s frame. It is indeed a load that there was under the spar of the car which farted. I was there, I have the photos, I saw everything, it is indeed a voluntary act, there is no doubt about it, ”Sodicars Racing boss Richard Gonzalez told France Bleu , who is also a friend of Philippe Boutron who was to participate in his 9th Dakar aboard vehicle n ° 260.
This speech is similar to that given by the press secretary of Sodicars Racing. “The truth must be said. It was an attack, and not an accident as the Saudi authorities are trying to support. There was a bomb in the spar of the vehicle, under the pedals, ”said Marie-France Estenave this weekend on France 3 Aquitaine.
For its part, ASO (Amaury Sport Organization), organizer of the rally, said that investigations were underway and does not rule out any leads “including that of a malicious act” without making further comments.
Still in shock and worried about Philippe Boutron’s state of health, the Sodicars Racing team has decided not to withdraw its two other vehicles still involved in this Dakar.