Seven people have been arrested in the Belgian town of Ninove on suspicion of election fraud. The suspects are being questioned by the police.
According to Belgian media, the investigation focuses on the party Forza Ninove, the local branch of the right-wing nationalist Vlaams Belang, led by Mayor Guy D'haeseleer. The suspects are believed to be from the mayor's inner circle, including Malika Sclacmender, his stepdaughter and councilor for Youth, Sports, and Animal Welfare.
The arrests were reportedly delayed due to D'haeseleer's liver transplant, and he is currently not working. A Belgian judge overseeing last October's municipal elections alerted the Public Prosecutor's Office to potential fraud before all votes were counted.
Allegations include vote harvesting through proxies and possible falsification of medical certificates. Two days after the election, the prosecutor's office seized all proxy forms. Since October 13, 2024, proxy harvesting has been a criminal offense in Belgium, punishable by up to eight days in prison and/or a fine.
Former mayor Tanja De Jonghe expressed shock at the arrests, while similar incidents with proxies occurred in other regions, including Sint-Joost-ten-Node, where elections had to be repeated.