European anti-fraud office investigating Vlaams Belang MEP

The European anti-fraud office OLAF has opened an investigation against Tom Vandendriessche, leader of the European list of far-right party Vlaams Belang, Humo and Apache report on Wednesday. It is not known what Vandendriessche is accused of.

Both media write that they have seen a letter from OLAF announcing the investigation. The letter is dated two months ago, but the investigation was reportedly opened last year following a complaint. The office declined to give any further information.

A Vlaams Belang spokesperson told VRT that the party had "received a report about this a year ago, but have heard nothing about it since". Vlaams Belang therefore concluded it has "nothing to worry about".

OLAF is responsible for investigating "fraud involving European funds, corruption and serious misconduct within the European institutions".

The real leader of Vlaams Belang

Vandendriessche is the ideologist of Vlaams Belang, and some even call him the real leader of the party. Prominent party member Filip Dewinter described leader Tom Van Grieken in De Standaard as a "doer", while Vandendriessche is a "strategist".

He is known for his controversial views. He opposes adoption for gay couples and said he considers transgender minister Petra De Sutter to be biologically male.

In January, an investigation was launched after Vandendriessche mentioned in the European Parliament the Great Replacement, a white-nationalist far-right conspiracy theory that Europe's population is gradually being replaced by peoples with non-Western cultures.

^{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT}