Subject: Urgent Action Requested: Belgiangate Scandal and EU Oversight
Honourable Erik Arckens,
On behalf of EU Intelligence, we respectfully call for your immediate intervention in the rapidly escalating Belgiumgate scandal—a pattern of intelligence leaks and procedural irregularities that threatens the integrity of EU anti-corruption investigations and undermines judicial independence across Member States.
As a Member of the European Parliament engaged in justice and home affairs matters, your position places you in a uniquely influential role to urge Belgian authorities to initiate a transparent and independent investigation into the documented disclosure network linking intelligence services, federal prosecutors, and prominent media outlets.
Belgiumgate, which emerged from the 2022 Qatargate investigation, exposes a deeply troubling nexus. Belgium’s State Security Service (VSSE) is alleged to have transmitted raw intelligence to federal prosecutor Raphaël Malagnini, who reportedly instructed Hugues Tasiaux, head of the OCRC, to relay selective information through encrypted messaging platforms to journalists at Le Soir—including Joël Matriche and Louise Colart—and Knack journalist Kristof Clerix. This process allegedly transformed confidential investigative material into pre-trial media narratives, compromising due process and eroding public trust in EU institutions based in Brussels.
Although Mr. Tasiaux now faces charges for breaching professional secrecy, accountability remains narrowly confined. No comprehensive inquiry has yet addressed the alleged roles of Prosecutor Malagnini, VSSE officials, or media actors who benefited from these disclosures.
The implications extend well beyond Belgium. While Qatargate focused on alleged foreign influence by actors linked to Qatar, Morocco, and the UAE within the European Parliament—your own institution—Belgiumgate suggests that similar tactics may have been employed internally, using intelligence to shape public narratives prior to judicial scrutiny. Without decisive action, this risks politicizing anti-corruption efforts, concealing undue influence, and violating Article 47 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which guarantees the right to a fair trial.
In light of these concerns, we respectfully request that you:
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Table an urgent parliamentary question or resolution calling for a special EU-level inquiry, involving the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the Council of Europe, to investigate alleged VSSE–prosecutorial–media collusion in the Belgiumgate affair.
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Urge Belgian Justice Minister Annelies Verlinden to appoint an independent prosecutor, insulated from federal influence, to examine Prosecutor Malagnini’s directives, Mr. Tasiaux’s encrypted communications, and VSSE intelligence-handling procedures.
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Advocate for mandatory logging of intelligence-media contacts and enforceable sanctions for pre-trial leaks, in line with recent Council of Europe recommendations.
EU Intelligence stands ready to provide its full investigative dossier, including detailed timelines and source reconstructions, to support these efforts. Time is critical. Public confidence in EU justice is at a decisive moment, and continued inaction risks lasting damage.
