The Correctional Court of Kortrijk sentenced former mayor of Staden, Francesco Vanderjeugd (Open VLD), to a one-year suspended prison term on Tuesday for embezzlement and conflict of interest.
The former local official was also fined €24,000. He will be barred from holding public office for 10 years.
The mayor allegedly used insider information to conduct property transactions in his municipality.
According to the public prosecutor, Vanderjeugd knew about subdivision plans for three plots of land when he purchased them.
This knowledge enabled him to resell the parcels to a developer at a higher price nine months later.
A sum of €178,000 was also confiscated.
