Brussels politician Vincent Riga is suspected of misusing funds from the Flemish Community Commission (VGC). He is said to have done this in his capacity as chairman of the local service center in the Brussels municipality of Sint-Agatha-Berchem. This is what ‘Apache’ writes, the VGC confirms that an investigation is underway. A very expensive BMW, tens of thousands of euros in restaurant visits and sky-high postage stamp costs, among other things, remained under the inspectorate’s radar for years.
In 2010, Riga became the first chairman of the non-profit organization Ellips, the service center on Gentsesteenweg that tries to make the lives of the elderly and elderly more pleasant. The organization’s general meeting included the private healthcare company Korian, the then Senior Living Group. It is not clear why Korian was part of the general meeting.
In 2014, the board decided – at the initiative of the healthcare company – to purchase a BMW 5 for Chairman Riga. However, Riga’s mandate was unpaid. The base price of that car is around 60,000 euros. The car was sold again in 2022.
Sky-high internet bills
Even more strange things happened under Riga’s chairmanship, reports ‘Apache’. The news site looked at the annual accounts of the non-profit organization and found that non-profit organization Ellips brought in approximately 30,000 euros in restaurant vouchers over the past decade. Sky-high telephone and internet bills also caught the eye.
Other suspicious expenditures were added during election periods. For example, the non-profit organization purchased more than 5,100 euros in stamps in 2019. In 2014 and 2018, stamp costs were also significantly higher than in other years.
“Tip of the iceberg”
Together the amount amounts to 12,000 euros, according to the research magazine. Remarkable, but only the tip of the iceberg, writes ‘Apache’.
Riga could not be reached for comment. Today he still sits on the municipal council of Sint-Agatha-Berchem for the Open MR party.
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