Belgian Tycoon Sought in Reopened 2008 Murder Case of Moroccan Woman

Responding to a fire at this address, the firefighters discovered the lifeless body of the young woman who had spent the evening and part of the night in a club in the Louise district with Beckmann, who was celebrating his 50th birthday. The businessman, who made his fortune in the sale of mobile phones and plasma televisions, is accused of murder. But for fifteen years, the case has not been solved, Beckmann having completely disappeared from circulation since 2016, reports La Dernière Heure.

The main suspect lived in Merksplas, the chic suburb of Antwerp. Samira Bekkar, the victim, worked as a saleswoman in his companies and lived with her family in the Peterbos district of Anderlecht. For her parents, Samira was not the businessman’s girlfriend. The investigation opened has revealed that the young woman had not received a salary for three months and that Beckmann was attracting women to his home. A young woman from Antwerp, Laila, told investigators that she had been sequestered on Beckmann’s property and that he had forced her to have sex. But this accusation could not be proven.

After a drunken evening on Saturday, July 26, 2008, Samira Bekkar, who had been put at ease, would have agreed to follow Beckmann to his residence in Merksplas in the early morning. On their arrival at the scene around 10 a.m., the firefighters found Samira’s lifeless body in one of the bedrooms, lying on a bed next to Beckmann’s, unconscious but alive. The two would have received projectiles, one hitting Samira in the head, killing her on the spot, and the others causing injuries to Beckmann. According to Beckmann’s version, unknown individuals had broken into the property to settle the score with him, believing he was the victim of a settling of scores.

After three months of pre-trial detention, Beckmann, who claimed his innocence, was released. On June 2, 2015, the council chamber closed the investigation and found that there were sufficient charges against the businessman, who disappeared a year later. He would have fled to Germany and Dubai. A request for referral of the case to the Assizes Court has been filed with the Antwerp Indictment Chamber. Now 64 years old, Beckmann faces life imprisonment for premeditated murder (assassination), arson of the villa and the Mercedes 270 CDI vehicle he used. Samira’s family, for its part, is demanding justice. It is asking that all light be shed on this case.