Still traumatized helicopter pilot taken hostage testifies Broken voice, hunched figure. Stéphane Buy, 70, still traumatized, came to testify on Monday at the trial against Rédoine Faïd. He is the helicopter pilot taken hostage on the morning of July 1, 2018, due to the spectacular escape of the repeat offender. Under the pretext of a first flight, the pilot put his father and son on the plane. But shortly after takeoff, they asked to land in a field because of a pressing desire. “They’re going to urinate, I’ll stay in my pilot’s place. It lasted a few minutes and then…
His voice breaks, he stops, apologizes, and swallows back his tears. “They pushed me to the ground, they made me kneel,” says Stéphane Buy, dark suit and bald, painfully. “If I didn’t comply, they would kill someone in my family,” he remembers. He collapses again. “They told me, ‘We have someone in front of your house.’” In the box, Rédoine Faïd, in a red sweater, looks at the ground.
A journey full of obstacles
The pilot then relives the trip to the prison, the stop to pick up the hooded accomplices and the equipment. Flights “5-10 meters from the ground, avoiding obstacles”, to avoid being detected. Then the red roofs of the Réau prison, which you see with its “huge logo that says ‘flying over’ is prohibited.” “They show me a very small triangular alley: stay there.”
During the seven long minutes in which part of the commando goes to look for Rédoine Faïd (Stéphane Buy had lost track of time), he keeps his helicopter suspended one meter above the ground. To prevent supervisors from shooting at the device, an investigator on the stand explained.
Sprayed with bleach
Then the criminals return, with “an unhooded gentleman”, Rédoine Faïd. “He gets on the helicopter and hits me on the knee. He tells me: ‘I’m not a terrorist, I’m not a murderer, get out.’ “I say, ‘Where are we going?’ “. “Take off.” He follows the instructions: “One movement to the right, one movement to the left.” To ends up landing near Gonesse (Val-d’Oise) where the king of the “beautiful” tells him: “Don’t worry, we’re going to spray you with bleach, it’s just to avoid traces of DNA.”
Stéphane Buy interrupts, we think he is going to talk about the terror he felt… but he giggles, almost embarrassed, before explaining why they found him shirtless. “I had a new polo shirt, I liked it… It’s completely stupid, but I wanted to save my polo shirt, so I took it off.”
Rachid Faïd “almost cried”
At the end of her story, President Frédérique Aline has Rachid Faïd stand up, who shares a box with his little brother Rédoine and is suspected of being the “leader” of the command. She asks if he admits to getting on the helicopter. Rachid Faïd, 65, agrees. “I’m sorry, I almost cried when I saw how shocked the man was,” he says, visibly moved.
At the helm, Stéphane Buy stares at him but does not react. The president has Rédoine Faïd stand up. Looking serious and a little solemn, he makes an act of contrition. He, who had already apologized to his family – two of his brothers and three of his nephews were tried alongside him – asked the pilot for “forgiveness” at length, for having “ruined his existence a little with this.” desire for freedom.” “he said. The pilot remains turned towards the patio and ends up looking at him, again without saying a word or gesture.
