The Belgian authorities have charged a lorry driver in connection with last week's tragedy in Wexford in which eight people died. The man, who has not been named, will appear in a Bruges court tomorrow morning on charges of co-operating with smugglers of humans.
Mr Jan van Belle, a spokesman for the public prosecutor in Bruges, said the court was likely to confirm the charges and order the man's detention for a month.
"We are not giving his name or age but he comes from outside Brussels. He will not be allowed any contact with anyone except his lawyer until after the court hearing on Friday," he said. The suspect, who is detained in a prison in Bruges, was questioned for more than five hours on Tuesday.
Prosecutors believe the driver, who drove from Cologne to Zeebrugge, stopped outside Brussels to pick up the stowaways. They say the company that employed him was not involved.
Three Belgian detectives travelled to Ireland yesterday to interview the five survivors and to examine the seals on the container in which they travelled. The Belgian authorities complained that their co-operation with Irish investigators had been unsatisfactory.
"It's not very good at the moment. Everything goes by telephone and fax and there have been some misunderstandings," Mr van Belle said.
