A 43-year-old Frenchman will have to appear before the Bruges criminal court under summary proceedings for rip-off. The man is one of five people who dined extensively in La Stalla restaurant in Ostend on New Year’s Eve and did not pay a bill of 533 euros. The investigation into the others is still ongoing.
On New Year’s Day, a group of five people had an extensive dinner at La Stalla restaurant in the Langestraat in Ostend. It involved three men, all French-speaking, and two women. The two ladies left before the end. The three men continued to order extensive extra drinks and desserts and afterwards casually reported that they could not pay the bill of 533.90 euros. Owners Florian Verhaeghen and his father Koen then called the police. “She already knew him from the day before,” Florian said. “Because then they had done the same thing in another restaurant. In the meantime, we heard that they had also struck several times elsewhere in Ostend.” (Read more below)
READ ALSO. “They kept ordering drinks and desserts”: table skimmers leave the restaurant ‘with a smile’ with a bill of 533 euros on New Year’s Day
The police took the three for questioning, just as they had done before. Both the police and the public prosecutor’s office now confirm that, after questioning, the public prosecutor’s office has already summoned one of them via summary proceedings. “It concerns a 43-year-old man who was born in France but lives in Ostend. He could not dispute the facts and the damage is very clear. The man will soon have to appear in court.” The investigation into the others continues. The two ladies are said to have been minors and may thus escape prosecution. (Jelle Houwen)
