By Pierre Nizet
On April 22, in principle, Prince Laurent will go to Louvain. Not to go shopping there but, as “De Morgen” tells us, to appear before a judge at the Louvain court. The King’s brother (58) is entered on the roll. He should have already gone there on March 4, but his chief of staff had then requested a postponement by e-mail because the Prince might not show up that day. The case was therefore postponed for a month and a half.
Prince Laurent lives in Tervuren. On June 13, 2021, he was arrested in this commune because a document for the car he was driving was apparently no longer in order. This is the certificate attesting to its passage to the technical control. According to the Morgen, the Prince’s car was likely scanned by an ANPR camera. “It is not known if the Prince will come in person,” it read. “A postponement has been requested, which we grant to all in the event of a first determination. No lawyer has yet come forward, ”explains police judge Sophie Lodewijckx to our colleague.
If the Prince shows up in person, will there be security measures in place to welcome him? “We don’t know if we should roll out the red carpet, but for us, he’s an accused like the others. The royal family has not yet issued directives, ”replies the press officer of the prosecution.
Prince Laurent risks a fine of between 80 and 80,000 euros. A prison sentence of eight days to three months can also be imposed. In 2011, recalls De Morgen, the Prince had lost his driving license following being flashed near the Vleurgat tunnel in Brussels. He was traveling at a speed of 82 km/h instead of 50.