Prime Minister Bart De Wever urged MPs on Tuesday to wait for Annelies Verlinden’s hearing before taking further action on the controversial I-Police project.
De Wever stated that if hearings prove a preferential relationship between the minister and the French IT company Sopra Steria, the matter would become highly significant.
He expressed full support for Verlinden (CD&V) in her role as minister and accused the opposition of trying to create unnecessary tension.
The Justice Minister, who was the former Interior Minister under the Vivaldi coalition led by Alexander De Croo, faces criticism over her handling of I-Police, a costly police digitalisation project awarded to Sopra Steria that lacked results.
The current Interior Minister, Bernard Quintin (MR), abandoned the project in December. Media reports revealed that Verlinden worked for Sopra Steria as a consultant lawyer prior to becoming minister in 2020.
However, Verlinden has denied any conflict of interest, stating that the legal case she handled had no link to the i-Police project. She stressed that negotiations were already underway with Sopra Steria before she became Interior Minister.
'Behaving like a clown'
Speaking publicly about the issue for the first time, De Wever claimed on Tuesday he had proposed halting the project during government formation talks, but agreed to an evaluation instead.
According to him, the evaluation confirmed his view that the venture was a failure.
De Wever criticised the previous government and opposition MPs from the former government coalition Vivaldi, asserting they had opportunities to address concerns earlier.
He directed pointed questions at former Justice Minister Paul Van Tigchelt (Anders/Open VLD) and Groen’s MP Matti Vandemaele, raising doubts about their actions during Vivaldi’s term.
Tensions rose throughout the session. Ridouane Chahid (PS) called De Wever’s comments "low-grade" and warned MPs not to trust Verlinden, accusing the Prime Minister of behaving like a "clown".
"We asked the questions (at the time), and we made a mistake: we trusted the Minister of the Interior. Don't make the same mistake, don't believe what she tells you!"
De Wever replied with sarcasm, suggesting Chahid’s party had managed the situation poorly. "You handled it very well," he quipped.
Fellow CD&V member Steven Matheï defended Verlinden, stating the contract was awarded to the sole remaining candidate. He expressed disbelief at what he characterised as untruths being spread in the debate.
The parliamentary Interior Commission decided in January to invite Verlinden and other former Interior Ministers, such as Jan Jambon, to hearings on I-Police.
Before questioning the ministers, MPs agreed to hear from stakeholders, including former and current police commissioners, Sopra Steria, and audit firm Deloitte. Pieter De Crem, who served as Interior Minister between 2018 and 2020, will also be invited.
