Europe Forum - View Single Post - Walloon socialist party in corruption scandal

**Maciamo** · 23-10-06, 23:22

After the municipal and provincial elections 2 weeks ago, judges have started a witch-hunt on Belgium's notoriously most corrupted party ever, the Walloon socialist party.

The former socialist mayor of Namur (the Wallonian capital), Bernard Anselme, faced a triple charge of illegal support of private companies, the usage of falsified documents and illegal personal enrichment. Other Socialist politicians were also arrested (see Expatica article) last week. The Socialist Party was ousted from office by an unusual alliance between the 3 other main parties (Liberals, Greens and Christian-democrats), as none of them wanted to share power with them.

Last Friday, the former mayor of Charleroi (Wallonia's 2nd biggest city), Jacques van Gompel, admitted charges of fraudulent dealings estimated to 425.000 euro (see Expatica article). Several other top socialist politicians were involved as well, so that Charleroi is still waiting for its new mayor, to be chosen among the Socialist majority once all the bad sheep have been evicted.

Other similar scandals of fraud, embezelment and illegal favours hit the region of Charleroi, as well as other Walloon municipalities, in the last few months.

23-10-06, 23:22	#1
Maciamo Satyavrata Join Date: 17-07-02 Location: Lothier Posts: 6,619	Walloon socialist party in corruption scandal - again ! After the municipal and provincial elections 2 weeks ago, judges have started a witch-hunt on Belgium's notoriously most corrupted party ever, the Walloon socialist party. The former socialist mayor of Namur (the Wallonian capital), Bernard Anselme, faced a triple charge of illegal support of private companies, the usage of falsified documents and illegal personal enrichment. Other Socialist politicians were also arrested (see Expatica article) last week. The Socialist Party was ousted from office by an unusual alliance between the 3 other main parties (Liberals, Greens and Christian-democrats), as none of them wanted to share power with them. Last Friday, the former mayor of Charleroi (Wallonia's 2nd biggest city), Jacques van Gompel, admitted charges of fraudulent dealings estimated to 425.000 euro (see Expatica article). Several other top socialist politicians were involved as well, so that Charleroi is still waiting for its new mayor, to be chosen among the Socialist majority once all the bad sheep have been evicted. Other similar scandals of fraud, embezelment and illegal favours hit the region of Charleroi, as well as other Walloon municipalities, in the last few months. __________________ Follow me on Twitter Already over 2000 of pictures in the Europe Gallery. Post yours today ! "What is the use of living, if it be not to strive for noble causes and to make this muddled world a better place for those who will live in it after we are gone?", Winston Churchill. Last edited by Maciamo; 24-10-06 at 17:19.