The Antwerp Court of Appeal has convicted the public prosecutor for the province of Limburg to two years in prison (of which half is suspended) for financial fraud in the trade of classic cars. His wife, who is a judge in Limburg, was also convicted.
The court confirmed on Wednesday that it had convicted public prosecutor "D.R." of forgery, failing to declare income from his business of buying and selling classic cars and money laundering. Belga News Agency later confirmed the case concerned Dominique Renotte, public prosecutor in Limburg.
The magistrate was sentenced to two years in prison, of which one year was suspended, and an effective fine of €8,000. He was also banned from holding public office for eight years. Eight of Renotte's classic cars and the sum of €385,000 will be confiscated.
Investigations had shown that he had been trading in second-hand vehicles for more than ten years, which is not compatible with his job as a magistrate. The income from these sales, amounting to almost €2.4 million had not been declared on his personal income tax return. The VAT of €740,000 on these sales was also not paid.
"He did not declare his taxable income. This is shocking because the Belgian State can use taxpayers' money to pay the salaries of public prosecutors, including his." He was also convicted of tax fraud because, for ten years, he had wrongfully deducted child support payments from his tax return.
Not just a collector
The Court of Appeal ruled that the public prosecutor did not act as a collector out of a love for classic cars, as his lawyers had argued, but as a trader seeking to make a profit. "This is evident from the regular buying and selling of dozens of cars over a long period of more than ten years, with the cars usually being sold again at a profit shortly after purchase."
Renotte regularly worked with other entrepreneurs and intermediaries. He had a line of credit at the bank and often had a stand at car shows abroad. To conceal this commercial activity, he drew up false invoices and misused the names, identities and bank accounts of his wife, his father and other companies.
His wife, who is a judge in Limburg, was convicted as an accomplice and received a suspended sentence of four months in prison and an €8,000 fine. Both business partners were given a suspended prison sentence of eight and six months and an effective fine of €40,000 and €24,000.
An amount of €250,000 will be confiscated from her and €65,000 on behalf of one of Renotte's business partners.
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"The father of the public prosecutor has been granted a suspended sentence, given his age, clean criminal record and the fact that he only slightly exceeded the reasonable term."
The tax authorities will now calculate the taxes he still owes on the various sales of classic cars. The tax claim will be dealt with at the hearing on 17 September. The Court of Appeal has already ruled that tax evasion has been proven and that a tax increase of 50% is due.
The professional consequences of this case for Renotte and his wife are in the hands of their chief of police. Renotte has been suspended since the start of the investigation. He also spent more than two months in pre-trial detention in prison, where he was beaten up by other inmates.
