The Belgian Public Prosecution Service assumes powers of attorney in the investigation of electoral fraud

The Belgian Public Prosecution Service has seized all power of attorney forms in the city of Ninove, in the East Flanders region. This is happening because of an investigation into election fraud in last Sunday’s municipal elections.

The investigation focuses on the use of proxy cards and possibly forged medical certificates used on election day to vote, Belgian media report.

The Belgian justice of the peace, who supervises the fair conduct of the election, raised the fear of the Public Prosecution Service about the use of proxies in Ninove. Even before the votes were fully counted on Sunday, the public prosecutor’s office in East Flanders announced that it was launching an investigation.

According to Flemish media, the survey focuses on the far-right party Forza Ninove, which, according to the results, has achieved an absolute majority there. The Belgian broadcaster VRT writes, based on anonymous sources, that Ninove residents were actively contacted via text message to vote for Forza Ninove by proxy.

The collection of proxies would also be done physically. A residential care center confirmed to VRT that someone from the party came in in an attempt to talk to residents about giving them power of attorney.

The leader of the Forza party Ninove D’haeseleer, who will become the first radical mayor in the country because of the election victory, denies that his party has hired proxies.

The Belgian Public Prosecution Service does not want to say how many power of attorney forms were seized in Ninove. This can include about a hundred forms.

22,357 votes were cast in Ninove on Sunday. The turnout was 73.5 percent.