Betrayal of Trust: Uncovering Police Corruption in the Belgium Diamond Sector

(idexonline.com) - In every society there are some who commit crimes. An investigative free press will not hesitate to expose those individuals and companies. All of us trust and rely on law enforcement institutions to make sure that those who violate laws are held accountable – and pay the price (including removal from society through prisons or death penalty). The police are there to ensure that the law is upheld – in fact, they represent the law, they are the face of the law. If the police themselves violate laws, fabricate evidence, make false arrests, use their power to extort, society cannot function. People start to fear the police – they may even feel compelled to take the law into their own hands. In recent years, many diamantaires in Antwerp have lost their trust in those whose sole task it is to police the diamond sector. One sensed that there were corrupt elements in the diamond police. That there were policemen who broke their social contract and abused their power for personal gain. Some diamantaires and companies became victims – some went bankrupt as their inventories had been arbitrarily and unnecessarily seized.