Opposition parties PS and Groen want the Court of Auditors to look into the army's purchase of anti-drone weapons.
Now that the Federal Audit Office (FIA) itself has indicated that it cannot investigate the case, the Court of Auditors must provide the necessary transparency, they say.
Following the broadcast of VRT's Pano program on the hurried-up purchase of anti-drone weapons, Minister of Defence Theo Francken (N-VA) promised full transparency.
"If the Federal Audit Service itself cannot conduct the investigation into the controversial €50 million army deal, then that task should be outsourced to the Court of Auditors, which can," responds MP Staf Aerts (Groen). "We have the right to know whether the billions of taxpayers' money Francken is spending are being spent correctly."
A similar sentiment is echoed by the French-speaking socialists. "If we spend billions of euros of public funds on military purchases, we must be able to guarantee at least an independent, rigorous, and credible audit," believes MP Christophe Lacroix (PS), who has submitted a motion to involve the Court of Auditors.
Parliament cannot look the other way regarding purchases surrounding so many doubts and currently under investigation. Every euro spent must be characterised by transparency and democratic control.
