“I’m disgusted to see that the Brussels administration has awarded expensive contracts, at the client’s cost, without respecting the law on Public Markets. It has wasted tax-payer’s money”, says the Brussels State Secretary for Digital Transition, Bianca Debaets. This comes after an audit revealed legal problems with a Gial contract. Gial manages the administration’s IT department, alongside a consultant company managed by a Gial director.
The consultant company S PRL Altera Via, run by director Michel Leroy, was paid 875 euros a day without VAT. This has risen to 1,000 euros a day over the last few years after indexation. This was for contracts lasting 175 days per civil year. Le Vif, which unveiled the existence of the audit, says Michel Leroy’s behaviour is not being questioned, but a public bid was required because of how much the contract was worth. However, there wasn’t one. The contract was renewed for an undetermined time whereas this type of contract is supposed to be reviewed regularly.
The results of the audit led to Gial’s management terminating the contract in December. It had lasted for 18 years.
Bianca Debaets (CD&V) is also a Brussels Communal Councillor. She says Gial is “the champion of associations managed by the political world. Its democratic control by the Communal Council is difficult or practically inexistent”, says Mrs Debaets.
“Instead of paying exorbitant amounts to consultants and setting up their own network whatever the cost, Brussels could have implemented the Region’s digital strategy and gone to the Brussels Region’s IT Centre”, the State Secretary said.
(Source: Belga)
