7 December 2025
At the start of the trial surrounding the bankrupt Belgian sofa Optima is a former Chief Executive Officer Jeroen Piqueur immediately started a legal battle. According to one of Piqueur's lawyers, his client's rights were violated by an unlawful decision.
The trial started almost nine years after the collapse of the financial group Optima in the criminal court in Ghent. Twelve defendants must answer for a series of accusations. Among them are former CEO Jeroen Piqueur, his son Ruben, son-in-law Gorik Vandersanden, former minister Luc Van den Bossche and investor Jos Sluys, together with his investment group Saffelberg Investments. The accusations include forgery, use of false documents, fraud, misuse of company assets, breach of trust and money laundering.
On the first day of the trial, Jeroen Piqueur and his team of lawyers immediately challenged the composition of the court. A lawyer from the office of Hans Rieder, one of his lawyers, claimed that the defense had not received any information about who the judges were. After a short consultation, the three judges decided that the rights of the parties involved had not been violated and added the discussion of this issue to the main case. As a result, the trial was postponed until March 26 at 9 a.m. for a new introduction.
It is still unclear whether Piqueur and his lawyers will file a request to disqualify the judges. In the past, they have already succeeded in disqualifying an investigating judge due to an 'appearance of bias'. Partly due to this delaying strategy, it took almost nine years before the trial could begin.
The trial will have to show whether former top executives of Optima have withdrawn an amount of 100 million euros from the bank via foreign structures in Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. In addition, there are allegations of excessive fees for consultancy assignments and secret commissions on insurance products, all with the intention of moving money out of the bank for personal gain.
Optima Bank was declared bankrupt in June 2016 after the National Bank had found irregularities in its management. The group, founded by Jeroen Piqueur in 1991, started as a financial planner. Piqueur was able to take over the banking activities of insurer Ethias in 2011, which allowed Optima to also offer banking services to its customers.
However, it soon came to light that the bank's management did not comply with the National Bank's recommendations. In mid-2014, Optima stopped offering banking services and loans. After a new audit in 2016, the National Bank decided to revoke Optima Bank's banking license, and a week later the bank went bankrupt.
Piqueur's defense is expected to focus on minimizing his role and shifting the blame to the National Bank. The verdict in this trial is expected in a few months.
What is the purpose of the trial surrounding the failed Belgian bank Optima?
The trial will have to show whether former top executives of Optima have withdrawn an amount of 100 million euros from the bank via foreign structures. In addition, there are allegations of excessive fees for consultancy assignments and secret commissions on insurance products.
What happened on the first day of the trial?
On the first day of the trial, former CEO Jeroen Piqueur and his team of lawyers immediately challenged the composition of the court, claiming that they had not received any information about who the judges were.
What are the expectations for Jeroen Piqueur's defense?
Piqueur's defense is expected to focus on minimizing his role and shifting the blame to the National Bank. The verdict in this trial is expected in a few months.
Bitcoin (BTC)
Ethereum (ETH)
XRP (XRP)
