Former Antwerp lawyer Marc Gadisseur is due before the criminal court on Tuesday, accused of defrauding more than 80 clients out of about €12 million to fund a lavish lifestyle.
The case began to emerge in 2018 after a Dutch businessman filed a complaint, saying he had lost around €3.5 million after Gadisseur handled the liquidation of his company.
According to the case file, Gadisseur then tried to mislead the businessman with a forged bank statement.
A judicial investigation was opened, and many more complaints followed. Several alleged victims said they had turned to Gadisseur during difficult periods in their lives, including divorce proceedings, inheritance disputes and tenancy conflicts.
Prosecutors say he promised to resolve their legal problems and offered to place their money safely in a client account, a separate bank account used by lawyers to hold funds temporarily on behalf of clients or third parties.
Instead, the money was allegedly transferred to his private accounts. Clients who asked for their money back were strung along, and those who persisted were sometimes repaid in small amounts using money from other alleged victims.
In total, Gadisseur is accused of defrauding more than 80 clients of about €12 million. Investigators say he used the money to live in considerable luxury, with properties in Kapellen, Knokke and Mallorca, as well as a motor yacht and several high-end cars.
Gadisseur was struck off as a lawyer in early 2019. A few weeks later, he was arrested and spent about eight months in pre-trial detention.
Seven years on, the case is finally coming before the criminal court. Gadisseur’s son and an accountant are also standing trial, while his wife, who had also been referred to court, has since died.
Tuesday’s hearing is expected to focus on setting the dates for the full proceedings.
A separate civil case is also under way against the Bar Association. The trustee who handled the bankruptcy of Gadisseur’s law firm argues that the Bar shares responsibility for the losses suffered by the alleged victims.
Years before the judicial investigation began, several of Gadisseur’s clients had already complained to the Bar that he was withholding their money, according to the civil claim.
The Bar is accused of failing to act adequately, potentially allowing Gadisseur to make more victims. Most of those affected have still not recovered any of their money.
Proceeds from the sale of Gadisseur’s seized assets were used mainly to repay the banks.
