2023-10-07 05:59:32
The Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened a judicial investigation concerning workers of the public company, following three recent internal audits on contracts concluded with the FPS Mobility, Finance and Justice.
When it comes to bpost, the days follow each other and are not the same. According to our information, the Brussels public prosecutor’s office has opened a criminal investigation into the activities of the postal company. To be more precise, the prosecution is closely interested in the three contracts concluded between bpost and different SPFs, as well as the practices of certain (former) bpost workers involved in these markets. The prosecution, which did not wish to comment on this information, only confirmed that an investigation was indeed underway, at the judicial information stage.
When the scandal of potential collusion in the context of the newspaper distribution concession broke out, bpost announced that it had transmitted a series of information “to the competent authorities”. At the time, these were the Belgian Competition Authority (ABC) and the Brussels public prosecutor’s office. While the ABC had launched an investigation (which is still ongoing), the prosecution had suggested that it would wait for the results of this first investigation before acting.
Following internal audits, bpost discovered a series of embezzlements committed by some of its workers.
Ultimately, the prosecution therefore decided to launch a second investigation which, this time, is active and concerns the three markets which, according to an audit carried out by bpost, led to abuses. For the record, this is the market for production and distribution of license plates (on behalf of the FPS Mobility), the transport market administrative management and collection of traffic fines (on behalf of the FPS Justice) and the market for the management of a series of bank accounts for the State – accounts 679 (on behalf of the FPS Finances).
At the end of the audits carried out internally, bpost realized thata series of embezzlements in the hands of some of its workers. Regarding the plates, bpost did not respect certain terms of the contract signed with the FPS Mobility. In relation to the management of 679 accounts, it is a question of erroneous financial presentations by certain bpost workers to the FPS Finances. Finally, regarding the management of fines, there is question of a rent overcharged to the SPF Justice (100,000 euros per month for two and a half years instead of 100,000 euros per year), an unreported error when it was discovered.
Bad practices
“Compliance checks reveal poor practices. A limited number of people, both inside and outside the company, have acted contrary to applicable laws and regulationsand without appropriate control”, suggested bpost a few days ago, when presenting the conclusions of the audits. Incidentally, the postal company laid off eight workers involved in these embezzlements.
“I don’t want the actions of a few to cast doubt on the entire company.”
Questioned last Tuesday in the Public Enterprises Committee in the House on the results of these three audits, Audrey Hanard, the president of bpost, mentioned “unacceptable discoveries, a sign of an insufficient compliance culture”before specifying that she “did not want the actions of a few to cast doubt on the entire company”.
During this hearing, several deputies, like Eva Platteau (Groen) asked the president of bpost if the company planned to take legal action against its former workers. Audrey Hanard did not respond, but it seems that the prosecution, waiting on the matter of the newspaper concession, has decided to move up a gear.
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