PARIS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 26th July, 2020) The church volunteer who was questioned in connection with the recent fire at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul of Nantes in France confessed to arson, media reported Sunday.
The 39-year-old Rwandan migrant revealed he intentionally set the fire after he was re-arrested on Saturday morning, news portal Ouest France reported citing the region's public prosecutor.
The fire broke out in the Gothic cathedral's main hall in the early hours of Saturday, July 18. Over 100 firefighters and volunteers mobilized to put out the blaze. The building's structure was not extensively damaged but a nearly 400-year-old organ was destroyed beyond repair. The suspect, who volunteered at the church, was detained for questioning but later let go.
According to Nantes public prosecutor Pierre Sennes, the man admitted to setting fire in three different locations, under the main organ, the smaller organ and the electrical panel, the newspaper reported. The man's motivations for the arson were not revealed.
The man was charged with destruction and damage by fire and faces up to 10 years behind bars and a fine of 150,000 Euros ($175,000).
