LANDGRAAF - Eric van den B., operator of hotel-restaurant Overste Hof in Landgraaf until early 2006, is no longer detained in the Lantin prison in Belgium. The bankrupt investor, who was detained on suspicion of cannabis cultivation, has been released on bail. "The bail amounted to 20,000 euros," explains his lawyer Serge Weening.Van den B. (42) did not have that money himself. "Friends of his put that together," says Weening. According to him, his client has yet to stand trial, but Van den Bergh himself hopes it will not come to that.

Weening finds the bail very high and also does not have a good word to say about Van den Bergh being detained for months in Belgium.

He was allegedly involved in operating a hemp plantation of eight hundred plants in Plombieres, just across the border near Vaals. "In the Netherlands you don't get detained for ten times that amount." Van den Bergh also says he is innocent. He points the finger of blame at a second suspect in the case, V, who is from the Heuvelland area but lives in Plombieres. This 50-year-old man was arrested on Dec. 6, 2006, and is being held in Verviers. The third suspect of involvement in the plantation is German A., who is being held in his home country on suspicion of drug trafficking. According to a spokesman for the prosecutor's office (OM) in Aachen, A. and V. are suspected of having traded soft drugs together in Germany. These were allegedly produced in Belgium.

Germany has asked for V.'s extradition. The spokesman for the prosecutor's office in Aachen expects Belgium to agree, possibly after V. has served a - yet to be imposed - sentence there. V. denies any involvement in any drug trafficking whatsoever. According to Van den Berg, who is currently staying with friends in Landgraaf, he could be released on bail after it turned out that he had nothing to do with the drug case in Germany.