VRT News has learnt that raids conducted by Belgian federal police at De Panne town hall and Koksijde police station are linked to a dispute about pricy cameras used to monitor the Flemish coastline. On Monday morning detectives seized computers and mobile phones belonging to De Panne Mayor Bram Degrieck and local police chief Nicholas Paelinck. A conflict between Mr Paelinck and one of the camera producers is said to be at the heart of the investigation.
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Pricy cameras, UK Border Force involvement and possible bribery: why did police raid De Panne city hall and the local police HQ?
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It was on Monday morning that investigators from the federal anti-corruption department raided De Panne town hall and the headquarters of the local West Coast police zone in a simultaneous raid. Mayor Bram Degrieck had to leave a meeting of the local city cabinet to hand over his laptop, mobile phone and computer. The investigators also copied the servers of the municipal administration.
The same happened to Nicholas Paelinck, the chief of police of the local West Coast zone. He had to hand over mobile phone and laptop later saying he was not given any explanation why.
As local police chief, Paelinck is also chairman of the Standing Committee on Local Zones, a consultative body grouping police chiefs from across the country that gives advice on problems and challenges for local zones.
The investigation allegedly centres on a conflict between Nicholas Paelinck and Brussels company iSea that makes high-tech cameras. iSea tested a thermal camera, which was placed on a high-rise apartment building in De Panne, near the French border. The camera was installed there to spot boats carrying undocumented migrants eager to make a future in the UK.
The camera seemed to have an effect, and the police zone got the opportunity to buy the camera after the test phase. Price tag: almost half a million euros. Money the zone did not have.
UK Border Force provides cash, wants different camera
Meanwhile, the police zone had entered into a cooperation agreement with the British border agency UK Border Force. A second iSea test camera was installed on the roof, leased (and paid for) by the British. iSea is said to have ended this project of its own accord.
The UK authorities are believed to have told Belgian officials that they were still seeking cooperation (and would also cover the cost of the camera), but not with cameras from iSea, but with their own cameras.
A rented American-made Anduril Tower was put on the roof. The British use these cameras in their own territory and the system is also in wide use at the US-Mexico border.
Threats and bribery?
The installation of the Anduril Tower was allegedly not to the liking of iSea, which rented the rooftop in De Panne. VRT News understands that police chief Nicholas Paelinck is said to have informed iSea that a police report might follow if their cameras remained on the roof any longer. Hence possibly the "threat" complaint.
Some stakeholders say that according to iSea, mistakes were made in the tender for the Anduril Tower, while other sources maintain a tender was not necessary.
iSea's complaint was reportedly filed with a Brussels investigating judge, who ordered the Anduril Tower to be removed from the roof last week. In a written response, the police zone expressed its regret.
The case also involves claims of "passive bribery". The police emphatically state that the British paid for the installation of the Anduril Tower themselves.
iSea is a Brussels-based company; as recently as 2016, it was visited by West Flanders Governor Carl Decaluwé, who described it as a "start-up".