Anglophone’s innocent call triggers bomb scare at Flemish Parliament
The man arrested in connection with a bomb scare at the Flemish Parliament on Tuesday has been released without charge. The man is an Anglophone, who called the Flemish Parliament asking for information. He never threatened an atrocity and the bomb scare was the result of a misunderstanding.
East Flemish prosecutors have confirmed the man never threatened the parliament and had no intention of staging a bomb hoax. Prosecutors say that he was questioned several times and that evidence too shows there was no question of any bomb threat or atrocity.
The Anglophone’s call was recorded in full via the app that records all calls to the general number. The conversation in which the man identifies himself and asks for information in English reveals there was no threat at all.
A bomb scare on Tuesday led to the suspension of the parliamentary select committee discussing the budget. On Wednesday parliamentary speaker Homans told VRT Radio the caller has been “serious” and wasn’t a “hoaxer”. She linked the threat to a Kurdish event in the parliament later in the day. The parliament was evacuated allowing police dogs to search the premises and give the all clear.
