2023-09-14 18:50:05
The appeal in the Optima Bank case filed by almost all of the suspects (ten people and two companies) will be pleaded on January 12, the Ghent indictment chamber decided on Thursday. It aims to review the decision of the council chamber to refer them to the Ghent criminal court.
Concretely, the debates will take place on January 12 and the decision should fall in the first half of 2024.
The Optima bank went bankrupt in June 2016. Its former CEO Jeroen Piqueur, as well as his son Ruben and his daughter Rebecca, were placed under arrest warrant by the investigating judge of Ghent in December 2017. Jeroen Piqueur, principal suspect in this case, is suspected of misuse of corporate assets, money laundering, fraudulent insolvency and violations of banking legislation.
In total, referrals had been requested for fourteen people and companies. Former managers of the Optima bank are mainly concerned, including the former socialist minister, Luc Van den Bossche. The latter was head of Optima Bank from 2011 to 2015 and then became president of the real estate company Optima Global Estate.
The Ghent council chamber finally referred twelve parties (natural and legal persons) to the criminal court at the end of May.
Luc Van den Bossche’s lawyer immediately announced his decision to appeal, followed by most of the other suspects.
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