Spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bart Ouvry, confirmed that the body of Frank Vandenbroucke was released by Senegalese authorities Thursday.
Vandenbroucke was found dead Monday at a hotel in Saly, Senegal. The Senegalese court has opened an investigation into the cause of the Belgian’s death.
The Senegalese doctor who performed the autopsy, Isidore Boye, said there were no traces of alcohol found in the body. His findings contradict earlier reports from eyewitnesses that said they saw Vandenbroucke hours before his death in a drunken state.
Boye said that the laboratory in Dakar, the capital of Senegal, lacked the equipment to perform a thorough toxicology study on the samples, so the examination will have to be completed in Belgium. Belgian media reported that the doctor found some lesions that he thought could explain the cyclist’s death, but no other details were given.
Vandenbroucke’s family has informed the media that they are not welcome to attend the funeral. The release of Vandenbroucke’s body means he should be returning home to Belgium soon. Ouvry told Sporza, “If the family wants to repatriate the body, a Belgian funeral home must contact their colleagues in Senegal. Then the body can be transferred to our country.”
Seynabu Diop, the prostitute who last saw Vandenbroucke alive, is currently only under investigation for theft in the case. She admits to stealing a cell phone and money, and maintains that Vandenbroucke was still alive when she left.
The autopsy showed no signs of a physical struggle, but the toxicology study in Belgium should clear up the confusion with respect to the absence of alcohol and eyewitness reports.