Prince Laurent accused of Fraud

[mandyy]

Belgian prince fingered in fraud probe: press

Belgium's Prince Laurent, youngest son of King Albert II, benefitted from a fraud set up by the Belgian navy to the tune of 175,000 euros (233,000 dollars), press reports said, citing a former aide.
The allegations came from Captain Noel Vaessen, who is being investigated with some 15 other naval officers and civilian industry chiefs for alelgedly defrauding the navy of some two million euros, the reports said.
A trial is to open next month in the northeastern town of Hasselt, and Vaessen's lawyer told the daily Le Soir he planned to call the 43-year-old prince as a witness..........
http://servihoo.com/Aujourdhui/kinew...&CategoryID=74

[princess olga]

wow how on the planet could an unemployed prince fraud the Navy? I'm puzzled.

[adelaide]

No comment because no accusation, What can happens on a will to destabilize the Belgium Monarchy by sully one of its members.

Today more than the custom: wait and see!

[flcty]

Article in English about Laurent and the military fraud business:
No special treatment for prince
Tue 12/12/06 - The Federal Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt (Flemish liberal) has said that the King of the Belgians' youngest son Prince Laurent should not escape prosecution; if it is proved that he received money from the Belgian armed services illegally.
(picture VRT) Villa in TervurenRecent press reports stated that the 43-year-old prince received money from the Belgian Navy to help him pay for his large house in the Flemish Brabant village of Tervuren.
The rest can be found here...
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...nt/index.shtml

[flcty]

Video about Prince Laurent.
http://www.vtm.be/nieuws/index_bekijkonline.htm
Scroll down the right side of the page, look under title: REPORTAGES.
It should be the first video link under Reportages van Dinstag 12/12.
The video is either in dutch or french (not quite familiar with both of the languages, just my guess).

[BeatrixFan]

Saw it on Euronews. It does appear that Prince Laurent is a guilty puppy.

[MoonlightRhapsody]

He's just everybody's favorite target, isn't he? I don't recall any other Belgian royal that has been openly looked, criticized, or scrutinized more than Laurent. Either he's really as bad as the press makes him out to be or he's just the favorite scapegoat. It's quite sad, actually.

[Jo of Palatine]

Aren't the Belgian Royals rich? I mean, all the money form the Kongo....It must still be around somewhere.... So why should he need it? Even in Tervuren (though a very noble area to live) a villa is not sooo expensive, especially compared to other parts of Brussels or London.

[BeatrixFan]

Well, he claims that he can't afford food at the end of the week - despite being on 300,000 Euros a year. Which is quite strange.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Well, he claims that he can't afford food at the end of the week - despite being on 300,000 Euros a year. Which is quite strange.

Okay, Brussels is not cheap. But my husband several times a year has EU business there and goes shopping for me (chocolate, cheese, beer, delicatessen). Well, with 300.000 EUR you could live a wonderful life in Munich and Munich is by far more expensive than Brussels!

[BeatrixFan]

It's certainly a very odd claim for him to make. I do agree that Prince Laurent is made a bit of a target, maybe because he isn't a photogenic Prince they can do a fairytale story with, but in this case he does seem to be in hot water.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

It's certainly a very odd claim for him to make. I do agree that Prince Laurent is made a bit of a target, maybe because he isn't a photogenic Prince they can do a fairytale story with, but in this case he does seem to be in hot water.

I just read in an article of the Internationa Herald Tribune at http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/...ium_Royals.php

However, Verhofstadt made clear in a statement that "the prince does not enjoy immunity" under Belgian law. "That exists only for the king, not for the members of the royal family."

Hm, that doesn't sound good, if you ask me...

[BeatrixFan]

Thats true. I saw an interview on Euronews with the Minister for Finance and he said that Laurent will be presumed innocent until proven guilty like any other Belgian but he said that Laurent is a subject of his father just like any one else and will be treated just like any one else accused as he's been accused.

[Jo of Palatine]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Thats true. I saw an interview on Euronews with the Minister for Finance and he said that Laurent will be presumed innocent until proven guilty like any other Belgian but he said that Laurent is a subject of his father just like any one else and will be treated just like any one else accused as he's been accused.

Somehow it reminds me that Her Majesty the queen of the Belgians has been a princess of Calabria.... Doesn't Calabria have a very old tradition of things like that? (OKay, it's not fair to blame the sometimes rather wild ancestry for the potential doings of their successor...)

[Alisa]

I'm trying to give the Prince the benefit of the doubt, but I find it hard to believe that Laurent had no idea where the money came from. It's not like money miraculously comes from thin air (I wish it did ). He either earned it, inherited it, it had to have come from somewhere....


http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...ud/index.shtml

[Marengo]

Actually I just read on Belgian teletext that several people have stood up to defend Laurent, the person who accused him is still alone in this.

[BeatrixFan]

How wierd. Thanks Marengo. The thing that will remain if he is declared innocent is why he stated that he can't afford to eat on 300,000 Euros a year. There must be some massive budget problems.

[Avalon]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

Thats true. I saw an interview on Euronews with the Minister for Finance and he said that Laurent will be presumed innocent until proven guilty like any other Belgian but he said that Laurent is a subject of his father just like any one else and will be treated just like any one else accused as he's been accused.

Here's that article from Euronews.

Belgian Prince caught up in fraud scandal

from the article:
"There is no legal immunity for a prince but he will be presumed innocent until proven guilty, just like anyone else," said Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders. "Once all the details are made clear after a judicial decision is made, of course we will take steps to get the money back if needs be."

[Tinika]

How very odd this all is.

[flcty]

Just read a funny, odd article. His brother and sister thought that Laurent was possessed by the devil...
The rumours mount
Wed 13/12/06 - The daily 'Het Laatste Nieuws' has published more revelations by the former military adviser to Prince Laurent, Colonel Noël Vaessen. Colonel Vaessen claims that the King's youngest son compiled a dossier about his illegitimate half-sister, the artist Delphine Boël.
He also claims that the other members of the Belgian Royal Family believed that the Prince was possessed by the devil and even called in an exorcist.
The Prince's interest in Ms Boël was founded on his desire to embarrass his father, the King of the Belgians, Albert II...
The rest can be found here...
http://www.vrtnieuws.net/nieuwsnet_m...al/index.shtml