The former head of meat processing company Veviba, Diederik Verbist, is appealing his 2019 suspended prison sentence linked to a food scandal, according to reports from L’Avenir on Saturday.
On 14 April, the Neufchâteau correctional court issued its verdict in the Veviba case, over eight years after the company became embroiled in a major food safety scandal in Bastogne.
Verbist was sentenced to one year in prison with a suspended sentence and ordered to pay a partially suspended fine of €16,000, along with a confiscation of €250,000.
His lawyer, Renaud Molders-Pierre, confirmed that an appeal would be filed, challenging both the criminal and civil aspects of the conviction.
“M. Verbist does not accept the decision of guilt, even if it is only a declaration of guilt or a suspended judgment. The case has had significant repercussions on his business and his family,” said Molders-Pierre.
The appeal will be heard by the Court of Appeal in Liège, but is unlikely to take place before 2028 due to scheduling delays, case complexity, and existing backlogs.
