How “Miguel Dos Santos”, alias Ibrahim El Bakraoui, tricked the owner of the rue Max Roos apartment, two months before the attacks

After a brief reminder of the configuration of the premisesCommissioner Bauwin began the chronology of the occupation of the premises.

Brussels attacks: Max Roos, a hideout dedicated to the manufacture of explosives used in Zaventem and Maelbeek

It was on January 19 that the first contact took place (of which the police have a record) between the owner and Ibrahim El Bakraoui, who introduced himself as “Miguel Dos Santos”. Two days later, on the 21st, a rental lease was signed between the two men. The rent is 650 euros + 100 euros in charges, and Ibrahim El Bakraoui pays the first two months’ rent (February/March) and the guarantee (1,300 euros), via a technical post office account. “A classic process of the criminal world”, according to the examining magistrate Bernardo Mendez.

To conclude the lease, Ibrahim El Bakraoui provides false “rough” pay slips to the owner. On these, he is named “Miguel Do Sonto”, while his identity on the lease contract is “Dos Santos Miguelerjan”, and on his false identity card “Miguel Dos Santos”. “This is a form of negligence,” say investigators.

The lease begins February 1. A contract with the energy supplier Lampiris was signed the following day in the name of Pieter Timmers (another alias of Ibrahim El Bakraoui) and a water statement was sent to Hydrobru on February 15.

According to the owner, who claimed to have been in contact only with “Miguel Dos Santos”, the move in takes place on February 13. The elements collected by the investigators show, however, that Ibrahim El Bakraoui only began to move from the hideout on Avenue des Casernes on the 19th. Max Roos on February 29.

Ibrahim El Bakraoui being considered the “leader” of the group, the investigators consider it unlikely that other people have lived in the apartment before him. They therefore consider February 29 as the official move date of Ibrahim El Bakraoui, Najim Laachraoui and Mohamed Abrini to rue Max Roos. They will be joined the next day by Osama Krayem, according to his own words. Four mattresses were also found in the living room of the building during the search on March 22.

In addition to these four men who will actually live in the apartment, the investigators found that it was frequented by Khalid El Bakraoui, Ali El Haddad Asufi and Bilal El Makhoukhi. It is also possible that Hervé Bayingana Muhirwa and Sofien Ayari went there, which they deny.