Six youths from Eghezée suspected of being implicated in a fight were arrested after photos of the event turned up on their Facebook profiles. The site also revealed a small-scale drug dealing operation. “Ah, if the cops knew,” read one post. They did.

A
procedural error meant that 14 people indicted for running a large drug running
operation where two people died from their products walked free. The mistake
related to obtaining the proper paperwork before starting wiretapping
telephones. The investigation took seven years and involved over €700,000 of
amphetamines.

Seventy
percent of fines imposed by a court are not paid, revealed Finance Minister
Didier Reynders in a parliamentary question. Of the €138 million of fines
imposed in 2007, only €38 million has been paid. The revelation was
particularly embarrassing for the minister as it turns out that the situation
is getting worse by the year. In 2005 uncollected fines amounted to €75 million
and in 2006 to €90 million. After two reminders, the Finance Ministry takes no
further action although it could send bailiffs to recover the debt.

A not-so-confidential report by the intelligence agency oversight committee revealed that little is being done to protect the nation’s economic and scientific assets. The Comité R, in charge of oversight for the state security services, spent four years researching the agencies effectiveness in countering industrial espionage. Not very was the verdict. One notable shortfall was when the state security hired an informer who had been dismissed from the military intelligence service for being too scatter-brained. One agency forgot to tell the other.

One in ten
politicians hails is either the son or daughter of an existing politician. The
proportion is an astonishing  four in 10
for francophone federal ministers. The Brussels Parliament recorded the lowest
number of family ties with only one in 20.