Faction leaders in the Brussels Parliament decided not to summon Brussels Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil in a special meeting on Tuesday after he revealed he was contacted by an MP with a request to release a prisoner.
Following the meeting, Parliamentary Speaker Bertin Mampaka (MR) issued a statement calling for restraint and respect for the rules, the separation of powers, and the code of ethics.
The meeting was called in response to an interview given by Public Prosecutor Moinil to the Francophone outlet Le Soir in which he mentioned a Member of the Brussels Parliament approaching him to advocate for the release of a detainee.
By refusing to name the politician who phoned him, Moinil left 89 Brussels MPs under a cloud of suspicion.
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“As guardian of the proper functioning and reputation of the Brussels Parliament, [I] ensure compliance with the rules and ethical obligations,” the president emphasised in his statement. “The seriousness of the facts in question calls for transparency and rigour, but also for respect for procedures and the presumption of innocence.”
On Monday, Mampaka stated that he had taken note of a communication from the public prosecutor’s office stating that the facts did not constitute a criminal offence on the part of the Member of Parliament, as the request was not accompanied by any promise, offer, or benefit.
As this concerned a strictly ethical issue, Moinil had previously discussed the incident with the members of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee.
