A few days after the fire which devastated the Copacabana, the historic nightclub in Beaune (Côte-d'Or), its director, Mohamed Louizi, is disappointed. He claims to have evidence attesting to the criminal origin of the fire and is now awaiting expert assessments to estimate the damage.
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It is with a calm and calm voice that Mohamed Louizi answers the phone. This Chalonnais, however, remains devastated by what happened a few days ago. The Copacabana, the historic nightclub in Beaune (Côte-d'Or) that he had managed for a little over a year, went up in smoke. “Everything was reduced to ashes: the roof, the rooms inside, everything”he explains, a few days after the facts.
Since then, man still does not understand how all this could have happened. Events happened quickly. “On Thursday, November 19, at 3:15 a.m., I was contacted by the gendarmerie who explained to me that my nightclub was on fire. I immediately took my car and, when I arrived at the scene, I noticed the damage,” he says.
Photos of the Copacabana, a few days after the fire that ravaged it
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© Guillaume Robin / France Télévisions
Following this act, an investigation was entrusted to the police. For his part, Mohamed Louizi claims that he has evidence showing that the fire was not accidental. “I am also the manager of a restaurant located next to the Copacabana. When I checked the video surveillance of my second establishment, I saw two hooded individuals enter the club when the fire broke out. »
The recordings were given to investigators. A few days after the incident, the director still cannot understand the reasons why someone would seek to attack his establishment. “It was an emblematic place of the night in Beaune. It's total incomprehension. »
Mohamed Louizi had to put the company's 17 employees on technical unemployment. A heartbreaker, especially since it was about to enter the period of the year when it achieves its highest turnover. “We had everything prepared, everything decorated, all the goods were ready. All the signals were green, we worked really well”he says.
But above all, this boss saw part of his life destroyed. The Copacabana is a historic club in the Beaune region, in which several generations have passed. “I worked 18 years of my life there. I was there since the creation. I was also assistant to the former director Bernard Salva. So seeing the establishment in this state hurts my heart. »
Mohamed Louizy is waiting for the expertise, but he hopes to be able to reopen his establishment.
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© Guillaume Robin / France Télévisions
And for the future, Mohamed Louizi is waiting for expert opinions to be able to estimate the losses linked to this fire. But he has one wish: to reopen his establishment. “I want to rebuild everything and start fresh. » It is also supported by many Internet users. On social networks, many give their support to the team on site.
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