The Financial Inspectorate has identified a series of "non-compliant" expenses by the company that organises the Wallonia-subsidised Libramont Agricultural Fair.
The investigation arose following a financial dispute between the Walloon Region and Libramont Cooperalia, which has been ongoing since 2022.
At the request of the previous Walloon Government, a financial audit reviewed expenses from 2018 to 2022. The Financial Inspectorate found some expenses to be "non-compliant" totalling €930,629.
In summer 2023, the Walloon Government, upon receiving this audit, commissioned a more extensive audit starting from 2014. This broader audit revealed additional non-compliant expenses totalling nearly €2 million.
Rather than taking the matter to court, the parties agreed to a confidential out-of-court settlement, confirmed by the office of the new Walloon Minister of Agriculture, Anne-Catherine Dalcq (MR).
According to Le Soir’s investigation, the settlement involves a payment of €843,526 by Libramont Cooperalia. This amount will be deducted from future subsidies, equivalent to roughly one year’s worth of funding.
