A man from the Flemish Brabant municipality of Affligem was somewhat aghast when friends told him that they had seen a photograph of him in a police wanted notice. Geert Despiegelaere’s photograph appeared in the notice that was part of an ongoing investigation into bank card fraud.
Last week the Federal Police issued an appeal for information to help them identify a man they suspect of having withdrawn cash and made payments with a stolen debit card. The card had been stolen from an 83-year-old man from Denderleeuw (East Flanders). The card was then used to withdraw cash from an ATM in Liedekerke (Flemish Brabant) and to make payments at shops in the Brussels municipalities of Ganshoren, the City of Brussels, Sint-Gillis, Schaarbeek and Anderlecht.
CCTV footage from the cash point in Liedekerke was included in the wanted notice, together with a description of the suspect. However, in an unfortunate case of mistaken identity the man in the photograph was Geert Despiegelaere and he had nothing whatsoever to do with the card fraud. "Good friends of mine recognised me on the photograph and let me know that I was being sought. Naturally, I was shocked”.
An unfortunate coincidence
Geert Despiegelaere contacted the Denderleeuw/Haaltert Local Police Service straight away to ask what was going on. It transpired that Geert bears a resemblance to the suspect and that this led to the confusion.
He told VRT News that "I saw photographs of the real suspect. His face is not recognisable, but we have the same build”.
Geert is not angry with the police about the mistake they made. “I didn't suffer as result. It was only a very good friends that recognised me and I understand very well how the confusion arose. The police officers were only doing their job."
Meanwhile, the police have posted a corrected version of the wanted notice on Facebook and also apologised to Geert.