A 59-year-old man from Bredene, West Flanders, suspected of involvement in a corruption case involving military equipment purchases for NATO, will have to remain in custody for now.
On Friday morning his lawyer, Pieterjan Dens, successfully requested that the man be placed under electronic monitoring. However, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office challenged the decision. As a result, he remains in detention.
This is the latest development in an investigation into alleged irregularities in the award of contracts for supplying NATO with military equipment, including ammunition and drones.
According to a statement on 14 May, federal prosecutors suspect that employees of the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA) in Luxembourg may have leaked confidential information to these contractors. Evidence also points to profits from these activities being laundered, partly through the establishment of consultancy firms.
Belgium’s Federal Police Anti-Corruption Service, CDBC, conducted searches in Bredene on 12 May as part of the investigation. During the operation, the 59-year-old man and his wife were taken into custody. While the wife was released after questioning, her husband was formally arrested by the investigating judge in Brugge.
Authorities in Spain also detained a suspect, who has since been extradited and remains in custody.
The case will be reviewed by the Ghent Chamber of Indictment within the next two weeks.
