Valsheid in geschrifte
Forgery of documents
Forgery is the intentional falsification of a document that may serve as evidence, or the use of such a forged document.
Forgery is a criminal offence provided for in Article 225 of the Criminal Code. It consists of the intentional alteration, imitation or falsification of a document possessing evidentiary value, or the intentional use of such a forged document. The perpetrator must act with the intention of causing the document to be regarded as genuine and unaltered.
The offence is designed to protect public confidence in documents used as evidence in legal and commercial dealings. Both the act of forgery and the use of the forged document are punishable. In practice, forgery frequently arises in cases of fraud, the falsification of contracts, false invoices or forged identity documents.
The penalty may consist of a term of imprisonment not exceeding six years or a fine of the fifth category, depending on the gravity and circumstances of the case.
“The accountant was convicted of forgery for having prepared false annual accounts to mislead the bank.”
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