In early October it became known that the Leuven public prosecutor had opened an investigation into officers from the Flemish Brabant police area, allegedly involved in drug offenses. Various media reported seven agents allegedly using and selling drugs, including cocaine. There have been rumors within the police zone since the end of August.
The Demerdal area police college has now decided to temporarily suspend five staff members for a period of four months. According to mayors Christophe De Graef (Open Diest) and Manu Claes (CD&V), the decision was made in the interest of the proper functioning of the force and after the officers involved were able to defend themselves during a police college hearing.
The auditors also underline that the possible crimes have not yet been proven and the presumption of innocence still applies to the employees involved. As long as the order is in place, agents will lose 10 percent of their salary, but if after investigation it turns out that they have done nothing wrong, that amount will be refunded. The police college, the body’s leadership, and the staff themselves are hoping to gain clarity on this in the short term, it still seems.
