Hmm. Thanks for all the input.
So to re-rail this for a moment. . . I keep seeing references to the “Spaghetti-affair” or something. . . does this refer to the dinner that the old investigation head had with the victim’s mother? Was the cop that was questioned yesterday that investigator? And I saw something about the advocaats getting at each other and people separating them-- did someone get punched or was it just words (my Dutch isn’t good enough and there was a verb I didn’t know and my frituur doesn’t have a dictionary with the daily papers)?
I also heard someone mention (vague aquaintance from Antwerp) rumors/allegations that had gone around (surely unfounded/ whatever) that one of the attendees at the um. . . dinner-orgy-party included Albert himself-- is this a widespread suspicion/ fantasy (sorry, clairobscur-- I understand your point but this is just all too salacious for words. . . and, after all, the reason that there hasn’t been evidence brought to light is, for some (wackos), EVIDENCE OF the huge cover-up) or a very ephemeral bit of wacko conspiracy theory/ poltical nastiness from some time ago?
And boy, the beer and chocolate ARE damn good. . . and you people (Belgians) are swell-- It’s been great being here, I should add.
Two major mistakes in one short sentence. Norway was never in the EU and Scandinavian countries used to have the death penalty. Sweden abolished it in 1921 in times of peace, and in 1972 in times of war. Nobody had been executed since 1908 and Sweden hadn’t been at war for Quite Some Time anyway.
Yes.
I think they’re just that, rumours, no more. However, with the kind of things that have at times occured in Belgium (like a minister ordering an execution) I can’t say for sure.
BTW, good to hear from you again. IIRC your last post was that you were going to Ghent, but I can’t remember having read that you had actually arrived. Also good to hear that you enjoy the good parts of the country. Don’t forget to take up cycling too, as that is the only way to counter the negative effects of all that beer and chocolate! Is your Dutch coming along nicely?
Heh, thanks-- we were on dial-up for months (damn you, Belgacom!!!) but finally have (spotty–Damn you, Belgacom!) DSL so I’m on the SD more now. [Ghent is cool, and yeah I’ve been biking a lot-- went to veldrit races in Eeklo that way, etc etc. Going to do the Ghent-Bruges canal when it warms up a bit. I think my accent’s improving-- now people don’t automatically respond in English OR German (but some have asked if I’m from South Africa. . .). I can understand the radio announcers pretty well but I still can’t understand when people talk in good oostvlaams. So I guess I’m an elite-class tourist.
I guess I should put a update in MMSPIMS or something. . . this thread brings out more Belgians that I thought were on the board-- population’s gone up perhaps]
Back to topic-- ooh! Juicy! Old Leopold would be proud! (More dirt I heard somewhere. . .). It’s such an interesting case and there’s levels and levels of dirt coming out that I have no idea about-- it’s been in the press so much here that no one needs to re-explain the background-- all the figures are called by name or nickname with no explanation of who they were, again, and what happened in last episode as EVERYONE knows EXACTLY what’s being talked about. . . except poor me. As an American here, though, it’s a bit relieving on some sick level (I don’t want to enrage anyone-- of course it’s a horrible case, but. . .)-- so much of our dirt comes out in the world press that it’s a bit nice to see something like this happening in other places (sort of like school shootings in Germany-- a bit sigh of relief is heard from America as we realize, ok things ARE messed up all over and not just here).
I’m Dutch, not Belgian, and I don’t understand oost-Vlaams either. In fact I believe Oost-Vlamingen don’t understand the lingo themselves, they just pretend they do. 
Nee nee, dat is wat de Westvlamingen doen.
Salaam. A
That’ll be in a parallel universe where I check all my facts and can tell the difference between Norway not joining the EU and leaving it…
and I’m shagging Kylie…
and Tottenham have won the Champions League…
meanwhile…
In this universe…
It’s a fair cop, guv.
His name is Daniel Lekeuche. He was one of the “white fathers” in the white movement. Meaning the father of a murdered/missing child. He was accused in 1997 but was then released by lack of evidence. In 2000 he agreed on taking a liedetectortest and failed the test. He then confessed of strangling his daughter “by mistake”.
How the hell can you strangle someone by mistake if you are not into bondage?
Even in your universe this seems a bit of a stretch. 
Thank you. I looked it up and found an article on it in De Standaard (15/05/2000).
I don’t think this incident brought the Witte Mars/Witte Beweging in discredit though.
Do you follow the trial? If yes, by which TV channel/written media?
Salaam. A
Aldeberan,
I do not follow the trial very intensly but I watch the news every day so I know whats going on.
What channel and written media you ask me? Well on every channel and in every paper. Since the trial started they kinda force you to watch it every day.
Not only in the news they shove it in, but all other informative programs I like to watch sometimes (koppen, panorama) only handle one topic. Dutroux.
I wish I could get the quiet days back. Where the newschannels would report about ordinary stuff mixed with some stupid decisions the american president has taken.