The construction project of a new prison in Dendermonde (East Flanders) is not only bogged down legally, but they also threaten the State with a serious financial cost. If the Council of State brushes this project away, the government will have to cancel the contract with the entrepreneur. It would cost it close to 14.8 million euros, according to a document from the Estate Agency, consulted by De Tijd, which was publicly referred to Saturday.
The bill of several million is to be added to costs already engaged. The Estate Agency already contributed 315,000 euros in legal fees.
The decision to build a new penitentiary in Dendermonde was taken more than ten years ago in response to prison overpopulation.
In the best-case scenario, if the Council of State does not block the project, the construction could begin in 2020, according to the quoted document -- a decade later than initially planned.
The Brussels Times
