Between January 2017 and August 2022, the former clerk of the Walloon Parliament, Frédéric Janssens, partook in 46 meals with Walloon ministers that were funded by the regional parliament, totalling a staggering €31,000.
This equates to roughly €130 per guest, reported Le Soir following an analysis of expense reports. In some instances, these meals took place at one-starred – sometimes even two-starred – restaurants.
There are no specific rules governing the Parliament's operational expenses, so under the last two presidencies of the assembly, it was not unusual to hold meetings and informal discussions in fine dining restaurants, Le Soir continued.
However, since December 2022, it appears that such restaurant meetings had been removed from the parliamentary agenda.
"For meals that I organised, the decision was mine and taken based on the objective or the guest invited," the disgraced clerk told Le Soir, defending his decisions. "These lunches contributed to the improved functioning of Parliament and development of new initiatives, smoothed over conflicts, and maintained good relations with various authorities."
Janssens was suspended in September 2022 following 13 separate counts of bullying. Subsequent investigations revealed the extent of his abuses during his time in office. As well as workplace misconduct, the regional official was found to have carried out widespread abuses of power, overseeing a huge misallocation of public funds and in some cases profiting heavily.
