• In spring 2020, the company Avrox delivered 15 million masks to Belgium after winning the call for tenders from the Ministry of Defense.

  • The Brussels public prosecutor's office accuses the company of having produced false documents to win this contract estimated at more than 30 million euros.

  • In addition, according to several Belgian textile and fashion federations, the Luxembourg firm has not complied with the health requirements for the manufacture of masks.

Arrested on Tuesday, Laurent Héricord, a native of Cannes and director of the Luxembourg company Avrox, was remanded in custody with a view to possible extradition to Belgium. The businessman was wanted by the Belgian justice for suspicion of fraud on a public contract for the purchase of protective masks against the coronavirus. A first hearing on the examination of the arrest warrant is scheduled for Wednesday in Aix-en-Provence.

The Belgian Defense Ministry launched a call for tenders in spring 2020 and chose two companies, including the Luxembourgish Avrox.

The Brussels public prosecutor's office accuses the company of having produced false documents to win this contract estimated at more than 30 million euros.

One of the conditions for winning the tender was to have already supplied 250,000 masks to another customer.

The Luxembourg company claimed to have already delivered a million without communicating on the name of the purchaser supplied.

Masks dangerous for health?

According to several Belgian textile and fashion federations, the Luxembourg firm has not complied with the health requirements for the manufacture of the masks.

At the end of February, the Belgian health authorities also recommended that the population no longer use these washable masks, available free of charge in pharmacies, because of the risk of inhaling toxic substances.

According to the newspaper

Le Soir,

the investigations, led by a Brussels examining magistrate, target facts of "forgery and use of forgery, swindling, money laundering and hindering the freedom of auctions and tenders".

The masks were delivered with a notice with "many errors," said the newspaper.

The leaders of Avrox, including Laurent Héricord, have always strongly defended themselves from having committed any offense.

Faced with doubts about their presumed dangerousness, the firm affirmed that its masks “scrupulously respect [have] all national and European regulations”.

Health

Masks provided by the Belgian government are said to be potentially toxic

Justice

Bakery boss sentenced to two years in prison for failing to declare € 1.9 million

  • Belgium

  • Covid 19

  • Coronavirus

  • Fraud

  • Justice

  • Nice