AP News, January 9th, 2007
A Belgian judge on Monday ruled King Albert II's youngest son can be called to testify as a witness in the fraud trial of 12 people accused of pocketing some $2.9 million allegedly siphoned from the navy's budget.
Several of the defendants have alleged that 43-year-old Prince Laurent knew $231,770 of the money was used to refurbish his home on the outskirts of Brussels during the 1990s.
Judge Christine Coopmans approved a defense request for the prince to be called during the opening session of the trial. Although the King has legal immunity, Laurent does not.
One of the defendants, Col. Noel Vaessen, is a former adviser of the prince, and the retired officer pleaded not guilty during his testimony. Vaessen's lawyer said Friday he would call Laurent as a witness.
However, the prince will not appear at the courthouse in the city of Hasselt, 50 miles east of Brussels. Instead, he will be questioned at home by police, the prosecutors' office said.
The prince, who has hired a lawyer to follow the case for him, was likely to testify on Tuesday. He has refused to comment on allegations he was aware of the alleged fraud ring and he was not questioned by prosecutors during the investigation.
The 12 defendants, many of them ex-navy officials, have been charged on several counts including falsification of documents, fraud and larceny, officials said. The accused allegedly drafted false bills to divert cash and goods from the navy.
Opposition political leaders last month urged the prince to explain his alleged role in the case, and Justice Minister Laurette Onkelinx decreed on Friday that Laurent can be called as a witness.
Two suspects, Marc Luypaert and Lut Keutghen, claim that some $524,240 in goods and services were used to refurbish private homes of senior officers, including the residence of the prince in a leafy Brussels suburb. The two contractors said last week they sat down three times with Laurent in his home to discuss renovations, adding that the prince himself had chosen new paint, carpets and curtains.
The prince's alleged involvement has dominated news headlines over the past month, forcing the issue to the top of the political agenda and causing embarrassment to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.
The outspoken prince has had frequent run-ins with the media and the law.
