Brussels Public Prosecutor Julien Moinil said a Brussels MP contacted him and asked him to release a prisoner. As Moinil did not disclose the MP's identity or political party, the Brussels political scene has been rife with speculation.
Since he was appointed Public Prosecutor in Brussels, Moinil has not minced words when it comes to the capital's drug problems and related gang violence, or the lack of means for the judicial system. Recently interviewed by Le Soir, he described as "a level of competence and integrity in the Brussels Parliament that gives pause for thought" and "leaves one speechless".
The prosecutor then recounted an anecdote: "My phone rings. There's an MP on the line. He tells me he knows someone who is in prison. Couldn't you have him released? I politely explained to him who Anne-Marie Lizin was."
Lizin was a socialist politician who served as mayor of Huy (Liège province) and president of the Senate. She became famous in Belgium for making several forceful approaches to magistrates in an attempt to intervene in cases involving people from her constituency.
However, by refusing to name the politician who phoned him, Moinil has left 89 Brussels MPs under a cloud of suspicion.
On Tuesday morning, Brussels Parliament President Bertin Mampaka of the Francophone liberal MR party, who said the affair "discredits all Brussels parliamentarians", will convene the leaders of all political groups to discuss how Parliament should respond.
The Brussels Times contacted several parties across the political spectrum that did not yet comment publicly to know their stance on the matter.
For Flemish nationalists N-VA, Brussels MP Mathias Vanden Borre said he had written to the Brussels Parliament's ethics committee to ask for a follow-up on Moinil's allegation. He described the incident as "extremely disturbing" and said that, if established, it would breach the principle of the separation of powers.
"The political and societal importance of this statement needs to be followed up," Vanden Borre said. Leaving the matter unresolved, he argued, risked damaging public confidence in political institutions.
"If somebody makes such a statement and directly contacts the Prosecutor, I think there is a whole cultural problem underneath," he said. Such behaviour could become normalised if ethical breaches were not followed, he said.
N-VA's Mathias Vanden Borre pictured during a plenary session of the Brussels Region Parliament. Credit: Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga
Flmeish far-right Vlaams Belang MP Bob De Brabandere similarly called the allegation "scandalous" and said Parliament should establish who contacted the prosecutor.
"We need to know who this Member of Parliament is," he said. Once the politician has been identified, he argued, the matter could be dealt with by the relevant ethics body.
Vlaams Belang Bob De Brabandere pictured during a plenary session of the Brussels Parliament in Brussels, Saturday 20 September 2025. Credit: Belga/Boaz Keersmaekers
Regionalist Team Fouad Ahidar's chief Fouad Ahidar also wants further clarification from Moinil, saying the prosecutor should at least provide enough information to remove suspicion from MPs and political groups that had nothing to do with the incident.
In any case, he said, the telephone call itself creates a damaging impression about the relationship between politics and the judiciary. "If an MP thinks they can call [the Prosecutor], that means there is a problem," Ahidar said.
Ahidar explicitly denied that the request had come from someone in his party.
Fouad Ahidar pictured during the Brussels parliament oath ceremony when he was still in the Socialist Party. Credit: Belga/ Thierry Roge
The group leader of the Francophone greens (Ecolo), Zakia Khattabi, also publicly called on Moinil to clarify his allegation, arguing that he could not make such a serious accusation publicly and then allow suspicion to fall on every Brussels MP.
Ecolo co-leader and Federal Minister of Climate, Zakia El Khattabi. Credit: Belga.
Francophone regionalist DéFI's Bernard Clerfayt publicly said that Moinil should disclose the politician's identity and that, if the allegation is confirmed, their party should force the MP to resign.
He urged the prosecutor to provide the name to Parliament's ethics committee so that it can take appropriate action.
Brussels for minister for Work and Training, Professional Training, Local Governments, Digitalisation, Animal Welfare and Child Benefits, Bernard Clerfayt. Credit: Belga/Nicolas Maeterlinck
The French-speaking socialist PS party, meanwhile, is deliberately withholding public comment for the moment as it does not want to fuel further controversy before more information emerges, according to Brussels MP and PS group leader in the French Community Parliament Martin Casier.
PS' Martin Casier. Credit: Belga/Bruno Fahy
According to MR group leader in Brussels Loubna Azghoud, the MP concerned should take responsibility and voluntarily appear before the ethics committee.
"The MP concerned should be able to present themselves before the ethics committee of their own accord," she said, stressing that the matter concerned the individual's responsibility rather than that of an entire political group.
MR's Loubna Azghoud. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
Azghoud opposed the idea of summoning Moinil for a parliamentary hearing, however, citing the separation of powers. She added that the allegation had nevertheless cast suspicion over all Brussels politicians, which she described as "unacceptable".
Instead, she said Parliament should handle the issue through its own institutions while its president contacts Moinil to clarify what happened.
Les Engagés' Alain Deneef. Credit: Belga/Dirk Waem
Les Engagés also described the alleged conduct as serious and emphasised the separation of powers, but has not ruled out hearing from the prosecutor. "The facts raised by Julien Moinil are serious," group leader Alain Deneef said. "Our group firmly condemns any violation of this principle."
Deneef stressed that a parliamentary mandate could not be used to interfere with a judicial decision and said the possibility of hearing Moinil in Parliament would be discussed by group leaders.
Belgium's Workers' Party PTB-PVDA also described the alleged intervention as serious but warned against allowing the controversy to eclipse Moinil's wider warnings about the justice system.
PTB-PVDA's Jan Busselen. Credit: Belga/Thierry Roge
"It is obvious to us that we find it very serious for an MP to act in such a way, and full light must be shed on this matter," said Brussels MP Jan Busselen. "However, this must not overshadow the message that the prosecutor conveyed during that evening."
Busselen pointed to what the party describes as insufficient resources to combat drug trafficking and white-collar crime, as well as shortages affecting the justice system, judicial police investigators and security in Brussels.
Identity unknown
The identity of the MP remains unknown, and there is currently no public evidence linking the allegation to any particular political party.
The leaders of the Brussels Parliament's political groups are expected to discuss the affair on Tuesday, including what institutional steps can be taken following Moinil's disclosure.
The Brussels Times also contacted Vooruit (Flemish socialists), CD&V (Flemish Christian Democrats) and Anders (Flemish liberals) for further clarification, but received no response by the time of publication.
Bruzz reported on Monday that there was speculation within political circles that the phone call had been made by a younger, inexperienced MP. One source cautioned that the alleged conduct "may have less to do with age than with ethics".
Julien Moinil pictured during a press conference. Credit: Belga
In a press release sent late on Monday evening, the Public Prosecutor clarified that the incident he described “did not constitute a criminal offence”, as there was no promise, offer or any benefit. As a result, the request did not lead to the opening of a criminal investigation.
As this concerned a strictly ethical issue, Moinil had previously discussed the incident with the members of the Parliamentary Ethics Committee (of which he is the chair). This Committee recently also issued a general recommendation reiterating the applicable rules on the separation of powers.
Lastly, the Public Prosecutor also devoted a large part of his speech to youth protection and criticised the lack of allocated resources. In particular, on 24 September, there were 281 French-speaking minors in conflict with the law who were awaiting a place in a secure institution.
“It is therefore regrettable that this crucial issue is being overshadowed by a breach of professional ethics by an MP,” he stressed.
