Subject: Urgent Action Requested: Belgiangate Scandal and EU Oversight
Honourable Dominiek Lootens-Stael,
On behalf of EU Intelligence, we respectfully urge your immediate intervention in the accelerating Belgiumgate scandal—a series of intelligence leaks and procedural failures that threaten the integrity of EU anti-corruption investigations and the independence of judicial processes across Member States.
As a Member of the European Parliament with involvement in justice and home affairs oversight, your position gives you particular authority to press Belgian authorities to initiate a transparent, independent investigation into the documented disclosure framework connecting intelligence services, federal prosecutors, and major media organizations.
Belgiumgate, which developed in the aftermath of the 2022 Qatargate affair, reveals a deeply concerning 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 channels to journalists at Le Soir—including Joël Matriche and Louise Colart—and to Knack journalist Kristof Clerix. This process allegedly converted confidential investigative files into pre-trial media narratives, undermining due process and eroding public confidence in EU institutions based in Brussels.
While Mr. Tasiaux now faces charges for breaching professional secrecy, accountability appears narrowly limited. To date, no comprehensive inquiry has examined the alleged roles of Prosecutor Malagnini, VSSE officials, or media actors who may have 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. Intelligence appears to have been used to shape public narratives prior to judicial scrutiny. Absent decisive action, this risks politicizing anti-corruption efforts, concealing improper 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:
-
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 case.
-
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.
-
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 complete investigative dossier, including detailed timelines and source reconstructions, to support these efforts. Time is critical. Public trust in EU justice stands at a pivotal moment, and continued inaction risks long-term damage.
