Belgium, which is the home of the European Parliament, has an obligation «to European taxpayers to investigate any wrongdoing that may be going on» in the EP, Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Vincent van Coykenborn told the AP-MPA. «A mafia state starts when members of parliament, elected representatives of the people are bribed to make a speech and (follow) a certain voting pattern in exchange for money. This is the end of the rule of law,» he notes.
Asked about the involvement of a second country in the corruption case affecting the EP and a related report he had made to the Belgian parliament without naming it, but taking a picture of Morocco as reported, he again avoided saying specifically which country he meant. However, he noted that «since the first arrests, a first country has been named. Suffice it to say that it is not the only country involved. A second country is indeed suspected of illegal interference. A country that has a history of foreign involvement in Belgian affairs through its intelligence services.» At the same time, in response to a question about statements made by Eva Kaili's lawyers about «torture» she suffered in a police station, the Belgian Justice Minister stressed that he cannot and will not comment on individual cases. «These are handled by prosecutors who are fully independent and act professionally in accordance with Belgian and European law. Anyone who wishes to differ has access to the judicial system to appeal any decision with which they disagree. Suspects in this case enjoy the same rights and protection under the law as any other detainee in Belgium. They are not treated differently,» he pointed out. In addition, he referred to the time and the different Christmases he spent in a hideout with his family after receiving threats from drug lords, calling it a period of «drug terrorism» in which «the drug mafia is trying to destabilise the state». But he stressed that this would «never be allowed to happen».
Here is the full interview with the Belgian Minister of Justice, given to APE-MPA and Irini Zarkadoula:
Q: The Belgian authorities have revealed the big corruption scandal that hit the EP. What is your comment on the matter since it is the authorities of your country that acted and not the parliament as one might assume.
AS: Our Belgian intelligence service has laid the groundwork for this investigation. They have unearthed possible foreign interference through bribery in the European Parliament. Belgium has the honour of being the home of this important institution, but we also have an obligation to all European taxpayers to thoroughly investigate any wrongdoing that may be going on there. Parliament must be the inviolable cradle of democracy. If someone manages to bribe MEPs to distort their views and their votes are distorted in favour of a foreign state, which is now the charge for which the suspects were arrested, then the European Parliament loses its moral authority to enforce rules on member states. This concerns me greatly. It is very corrosive to confidence in the European project. It seems that the European Parliament has understood that decisive action must be taken to prevent any future attempts at foreign interference. I hope that it will follow this up.
Independence and not having a difference in the European Parliament must be taken seriously. A mafia state starts when members of parliament, elected representatives of the people are bribed to make a speech and (follow) a certain voting pattern in exchange for money. This is the end of the rule of law.
Q: Speaking in the Belgian parliament you spoke about «a country that in recent years has already been mentioned... when it comes to interventions». Could you give us more details on this?;
AS: I won't go into the details of the investigation. That is up to the Office of the Federal Public Prosecutor of Belgium. As you know, since the first arrests, a first country has been named. Suffice it to say that it is not the only country involved. A second country is indeed suspected of illegal interference. A country that has a history of foreign involvement in Belgian affairs through its intelligence services. It seems that this has happened for a number of reasons. These are very serious allegations. And the people of Greece and the rest of Europe can rely on Belgian justice to ensure that no stone is left unturned and that those responsible are held to account.
Q: This is the second time you have been in a safe place after threats against you. How has your Christmas been for you and your family in such a different way and will you continue to hunt down drug lords despite the threats?;
AS: Christmas was definitely very different. We had to celebrate it alone with our children in a safe place. No grandparents. No nephews. But we made the best of it. I am more determined than ever to continue the fight against the drug mafia. Because I know that the threats are not directed at me personally, but at the Attorney General as a symbol of all the work that many thousands of judges and police officers do to hunt down these criminals and put them in jail. And that is what we will continue to do.
I'm still under very serious threat. I am no longer in a safe house with my family, but we are under close protection. I cannot leave my home without a prior search being scheduled, and I fear this situation will last for a long time. The former Dutch Minister of Justice also had to hide in a hideout i, around the same time that I had to do so. It is clear that we have entered a new phase. That of drug terrorism, in which the drug mafia is trying to destabilise the state. But we will never allow that to happen. It may seem paradoxical, but the increasing level of gang-related violence is precisely because the Belgian justice system and police are showing our teeth and biting. We have managed to deal a huge blow to organised crime by breaking their encrypted SKY-ECC telephone network. This has resulted in over 1,300 arrests, hundreds of high-level drug traffickers behind bars and record amounts of drugs seized in the port of Antwerp. The infighting between criminal gangs and the threats against me and many others are directly related to the chaos it has caused in the underworld.
We have them on the hunt, but we should not be naive. We know that for every drug criminal arrested, there is another one waiting to take his place. Our ultimate goal is to break the business model of these organizations. Today, we are proceeding with the seizure of approximately 11% of drugs entering the port of Antwerp. If we push it up to 20% with additional staff, tighter security measures and mobile scanners to scan more high-risk containers coming from South America, their business model will be in trouble, experts say. This will allow us to break the backbone of the mafia. Just like Italy did in the eighties and nineties. It will be a long and arduous battle, but justice will prevail.
Q: Since there are complaints from Ms.Kaili's lawyers in relation to «torture» she suffered in a police station during the week of January 11-13, is there any comment from your side?;
AS: As Minister of Justice, I strictly adhere to the principles of the rule of law. This means that I cannot and will not comment on individual cases. These are handled by prosecutors who are fully independent and act professionally in accordance with Belgian and European law. Anyone who wishes to differ has access to the court system to appeal any decision with which they disagree. Suspects in this case enjoy the same rights and protection under the law as any other detainee in Belgium. They are not treated differently.
I can also say that Haren prison in Brussels is brand new. It has only been open since October.
It is one of the most modern and humane prisons in all of Europe. Prisoners and detainees are provided with a spacious cell equipped with many amenities, such as a TV screen and a private bathroom.
I should know. I voluntarily spent four days locked up there as part of a trial run before opening. I am sure that prisoners all over Europe and in Greece would feel envious of the living conditions there.
