NATO has reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on fraud and corruption, announcing new measures to strengthen oversight following an investigation into alleged misconduct at its procurement body.
‘NATO has no tolerance for fraud or corruption,’ spokesperson Allison Hart said in a statement to Anadolu. She noted that the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) had created its own investigative branch in 2023, a year after the alliance adopted a NATO-wide strategy to prevent, detect, and respond to corruption.
Hart said the NSPA had ‘proactively initiated cooperation with national law enforcement agencies’ and continues to support ongoing probes into suspected criminal activity involving current and former staff.
According to NATO, Secretary General Mark Rutte received a formal request from the Belgian Federal Prosecutor on 12 May to lift the functional immunity of three NSPA staff members. The request was granted the same day.
Rutte and the NSPA’s general manager have since launched a joint investigative task force between NATO headquarters and the agency to expand investigative capacity and address any possible fraud involving agency personnel or contractors.
The move follows the arrest of three Belgian nationals in connection with an alleged corruption scheme at the NSPA, which is based in Capellen, Luxembourg, and manages multi-billion-euro defence contracts for NATO member states.
According to Belgian media reports, the arrests in May are linked to one of three corruption cases uncovered at the agency over the past year. The suspects are accused of leaking confidential information to defence firms bidding for NATO contracts covering aircraft, helicopters, ammunition, and fuel between 2021 and 2025.
Investigative journalist Kristof Clerix, who helped reveal the story, said the inquiry centres on whether consultancy firms advising defence companies obtained insider information, undermining fair competition.
Belgian prosecutors said one suspect remains in custody, another is under electronic surveillance, and a third has been released on conditional bail.
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