Almost three years after the Qatargate corruption scandal erupted, the judicial process shows little sign of resolution.
Belgium’s Chamber of Indictment will in December examine whether investigators respected legal procedure in the probe, Belgian newsagency Belga reported yesterday.
The review was requested by defence lawyers who argue that flaws in the investigation could undermine the entire case.
According to Belgian newspaper La Libre, the Chamber will be asked to decide whether steps taken by the investigating magistrate complied with the law.
The hearing is expected to cover several pending disputes. Among them are questions of civil party status: How many civil parties should be declared admissible, which individuals or organisations can claim that status, and what rights those parties have to consult the case file.
Debates on these issues have already been postponed until the Chamber rules on the broader legality of the investigation.
Procedural challenges have slowed the case for months. Lawyers for those accused have contested the way the inquiry was handled, while representatives of NGOs and other groups have sought recognition as civil parties.
In parallel, Belgium’s former head of the Central Office for the Repression of Corruption (OCRC), Hugues Tasiaux, has been charged with breaching professional secrecy, Belga reported on September 5.
The charge followed a complaint lodged by a former MEP and her son. Prosecutors allege he leaked confidential information not only related to Qatargate but also from other sensitive investigations.
On February 6, the General Inspectorate of the Police and a Brussels investigating judge searched Tasiaux’s home and the OCRC’s offices, according to Belga.
He was taken into custody by federal police for questioning and later released. After serving eight years as interim head of the OCRC, Tasiaux was replaced in spring this year. The inquiry into his conduct remains ongoing.
Leaks are considered to have compromised both Qatargate and other files overseen by the OCRC.
