A former leader of the Flemish Social Democrat party, Steve Stevaert, 60, was found dead in a canal late on Thursday after he learnt he was to face trial over a rape allegation. It is thought he committed suicide, Belgian media reported.

Divers found the body of Steve Stevaert in the canal linking the cities of Antwerp and Liege. His jacket and bicycle had been found hours earlier on the canal's banks near his home.

"We are all today very affected and distraught by the far too premature loss of Steve," SPA said on its website that also listed a hotline for people who might be contemplating suicide.

The Flemish newspaper Het Belang Van Limburg reported Stevaert had left a farewell letter.

Born April 12 1954, Stevaert had opened a cafe in the northeastern Flemish-speaking city of Hasselt in the 1970s before launching his political career.

As mayor of Hasselt from 1995, he became famous in Flanders two years later when he decided to offer free public transport in his city.

He was minister of transport in Flanders from 1999 to 2003, then president of the SPA between 2003 and 2005, when it was in power, before he became governor of Limburg province in 2005.
He retired from political life in 2011.

On March 23, he was ordered to stand trial for rape and indecent assault, prosecutors in Brussels said on Thursday, confirming a newspaper report.

The alleged crimes occurred in September 2010 in the capital Brussels but the alleged victim only brought charges against him three years later, prosecutors said, having previously kept a lid of secrecy on the case.

During the investigation, Stevaert admitted having had a sexual relationship with the woman but added that she had consented, Belga said.