Seven arrested in Ninove election fraud investigation
Seven individuals have been detained as part of an ongoing investigation into possible election fraud during the 2024 municipal elections in Ninove. The arrests, carried out on Tuesday morning, were confirmed by the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office and first reported by public broadcaster VRT.
The suspects are being questioned on suspicion of forgery, particularly involving fraudulent proxy votes. The investigation began on 13 October 2024, election day, after a local magistrate raised concerns about irregular proxy voting supported by falsified medical certificates. Authorities have since seized all proxy documents used in the Ninove elections.
It remains unclear whether mayor Guy D’haeseleer or his party, Forza Ninove, are directly involved in the investigation. However, those arrested reportedly come from the close circle of D’haeseleer. Among them is his stepdaughter, Malika Scalcmender, who serves as councillor for Youth, Sport and Animal Welfare in Ninove.
D’haeseleer himself has denied any wrongdoing. What is known, however, is that Forza Ninove actively promoted the use of proxy voting. On the final page of its election programme, the party included a phone number for voters to contact if they wished to assign a proxy vote to Forza Ninove due to work, travel or medical reasons.
This election was the first in which proxy vote manipulation became a criminal offence in Belgium, punishable by a prison sentence of up to one month or a fine.
Despite the investigation, the results of the Ninove election remain valid, as the legal deadline for contesting them has passed.
#FlandersNewsService | Mayor Guy D’haeseleer secured a narrow victory with his party Forza Ninove, winning 47.4 per cent of the vote, partly through proxy votes © BELGA PHOTO HATIM KAGHAT
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