The French tech consultancy Sopra Steria is taking legal action over the i-Police case, the failed multi-million euro project to modernise information technology (IT) tools for Belgium's law enforcement.
In a statement on Monday, Sopra Steria announced that following the summons issued by the police, it was initiating legal proceedings "to contest the attribution of responsibility to the company for the unilateral termination of the i-Police programme in December 2025."
The i-Police project was officially awarded to Sopra Steria in 2021, with a budget of almost €300 million. The contract was terminated at the end of 2024 by Interior Minister Bernard Quintin due to a reported lack of tangible results.
The case sparked controversy earlier this year, after it was revealed that over €75.8 million had already been paid out by Belgium for the failed project. A judicial investigation into the case has since been opened over suspicions of misuse of public funds and conflict of interest.
The company's management denies any responsibility for this failure. During a hearing in parliament last Friday, it emphasised that functional applications had indeed been delivered, but that they had never been put into service, "a decision that was not ours to make."
The company's CEO noted, during the hearing, a turning point in early 2024, when the initial priorities were reoriented by the police. The company's management also pointed out that some invoices were still unpaid and that Sopra Steria had joined the judicial investigation into the matter as a civil party.
In Monday's statement, Sopra Steria argued that "the unilateral termination of the programme, together with the recent public disclosure of partial information" has led to it being "publicly criticised based on a partial and unbalanced presentation of the facts, with potential implications for its reputation."
The company believes that legal action is "the appropriate framework in which the facts and responsibilities can be examined fully and objectively."
It added: "This action is not intended as a confrontation. Its sole purpose is to ensure that the matter is assessed independently, fairly and in accordance with the law, with full respect for the rights of all parties involved," the company added in its statement.
The police confirmed to Belga News Agency that they had taken legal action against the French company without providing further information on the reasons for doing so.
The police had previously advised the French IT consultant, via registered letter, not to participate in the parliamentary hearings on i-Police, but the company had ignored this warning.
