The Bruges Court of Appeal has extended by one month the detention of a 59-year-old man from Bredene suspected of corruption in the procurement of military equipment for NATO, his lawyer has said.
According to the Federal Prosecutor's Office, a suspect has also been arrested in Spain.
"The investigation concerns possible irregularities in the awarding of contracts to defence contractors for the purchase of military equipment for NATO, such as ammunition and drones," the Federal Prosecutor's Office said.
Employees of the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg are alleged to have passed on confidential information to these contractors. "There are indications that the money obtained through these illegal practices was laundered, in particular through the creation of consulting companies."
As part of this investigation, the Central Office for the Suppression of Corruption (OCRC) of the Federal Police carried out searches in Bredene on Monday. A 59-year-old man and his wife were arrested during the operation. The woman was released after questioning. Her husband was remanded in custody by the investigating judge in Bruges.
On Thursday, the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office announced that a person had also been arrested in Spain. The extradition of this suspect is still pending.
On Friday, the Bruges Council Chamber decided that the Bredene suspect should remain in prison for at least another month.
