It had been speculated in various media outlets that Cheffou had been captured by security cameras at the airport before the blasts alongside two others who blew themselves up.
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The website of Belgium’s Federal Police on Monday began carrying a 32-second video of a mysterious man in a hat suspected of having taking part in the March 22 bombing of Brussels Airport.
Two days before, prosecutors charged Fayçal Cheffou with terrorist murders and indicated that they suspected him of being the only attacker to have survived – the unidentified “man in white” pictured entering the airport with the two suicide bombers.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement that “the indications that led to the arrest of Faycal C. were not substantiated by the ongoing inquiry”.
Belgian authorities have revealed the number of victims from last week’s airport and subway suicide bombings rose to 35 as three more people swept up in police raids were held on charges of participating in terrorist activities.
Citing lack of evidence, Belgium today released the only suspect charged specifically in connection with the Brussels bombings.
On Sunday night hundreds of far-right football hooligans rioted at an informal shrine to the victims of the attacks outside the Brussels Bourse or stock exchange.
Residents of Brussels are trying to return to some sense of normalcy in the wake of the attacks. “Courage to all the families.” the minister wrote on Twitter.
Soldiers control an access to Brussels airport on Tuesday in Zaventem, one week after the IS attacks in the Belgian capital.
Zaventem, the city’s main airport, could “at best” resume very limited services tomorrow but it will take months to get back to normal after the attacks, chief executive Arnaud Feist said.
Police had refused to confirm that report.
Over the weekend, the authorities were said to be analyzing DNA evidence to determine whether Cheffou – who was arrested early Thursday evening in front of the federal prosecutor’s office, of all places – was the third airport attacker.
The metro trains through the city are less frequent and stop at about half the stations, while Maelbeek station – which was hit by a suicide bomber in the morning rush hour – remains closed.
In the most damning revelation, Turkey accused Belgium of ignoring warnings from Ankara after it deported airport suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui as a “terrorist fighter” previous year after arresting him near the Syrian border.
Authorities have said a man identified as Faycal C is among those in custody and has been charged with terror offences.
Florence Muls, an airport communications manager, said 800 staff members on Tuesday will test temporary infrastructure and new arrangements created to handle passenger check-ins.
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The reopening of Brussels Airport has been delayed indefinitely following last Tuesday’s terrorist attack because of terminal damage and the need for additional security measures at all Belgian airports ordered by the Belgian government.
