Belgian authorities are investigating current and former NATO staff over alleged “irregularities in awarding contracts to defense contractors for the purchase of military equipment for NATO,” the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
The investigation focuses on possible bribery and money laundering involving personnel at the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), according to a statement. Authorities allege that NSPA staff leaked confidential information to defense contractors to help them secure contracts.
In exchange, the suspects reportedly received bribes and funneled some of the money through sham consultancy firms. The prosecutor’s office did not name the companies involved or provide further details about the arms deals, beyond confirming they were related to the purchase of ammunition and drones.
While NATO does not own weapons, the NSPA helps member states and partners procure military equipment and provides logistics support.
Two suspects were arrested in Belgium last Monday on suspicion of ties to a criminal organization and “active and passive corruption and money laundering.” One remains in custody; the other was released after questioning.
The investigation was launched in coordination with Eurojust—the EU agency for criminal justice cooperation. Since April, Eurojust has facilitated meetings between national authorities, which led to the identification of “various potential suspects,” the agency said.
The cross-border probe has expanded to include Luxembourg, Spain, and the Netherlands.
NSPA is “working very closely with all the relevant authorities, and obviously we will continue doing that. We want to get to the root of this,” NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reportedly said during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers on Thursday.