- A Brussels MP allegedly contacted King’s Prosecutor Julien Moinil and asked whether he could help secure a prisoner’s release.
- Moinil says he refused the request, and the detainee remained in custody.
- Neither the politician nor the prisoner has been publicly identified.
- Brussels Parliament President Bertin Mampaka has called political group leaders together to discuss the disclosure.
- Ecolo’s Zakia Khattabi and Défi’s Bernard Clerfayt have called for greater clarity over who was involved.
Brussels, 29 September, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Political pressure is growing in the Brussels Parliament after King’s Prosecutor Julien Moinil revealed that an unnamed regional parliamentarian contacted him about securing the release of a prisoner. The prosecutor rejected the request, but his decision not to identify the politician has prompted demands for clarification and a discussion among parliamentary group leaders.
Brussels MP request disclosed by Julien Moinil
Moinil described the incident during a security discussion organised by Le Soir in Woluwe-Saint-Lambert while answering a question about integrity in Brussels politics.
“My phone rings and I have an MP on the line,” Moinil said when recounting the incident. According to reports of his remarks, the politician told him: “I know someone who is in prison. Could you have him released?”
Moinil said he checked who the detainee was and rejected the approach. BRUZZ subsequently reported that the prisoner remained in custody.
Brussels Parliament discusses prosecutor’s disclosure
The revelation has triggered concern within the 89-member Brussels Parliament because Moinil has not identified the politician or their political party.
Parliament President Bertin Mampaka called parliamentary group leaders together to discuss the disclosure and possible institutional action.
“It is shocking; this discredits all Brussels parliamentarians,” Mampaka told BRUZZ. “We do not live in a banana republic.”
The parliament’s response is significant because the allegation concerns an attempt by an elected representative to contact a senior judicial official about an individual prisoner’s situation.
Khattabi and Clerfayt seek clarification
Ecolo group leader Zakia Khattabi has called on Moinil to provide more information, arguing that withholding the politician’s identity risks placing every member of the parliament under suspicion.
“You cannot make such an accusation publicly and then cast suspicion indiscriminately on all Brussels MPs,” Khattabi said. She called for politicians who were not involved to be cleared if Moinil could not publicly name the person concerned.
Défi parliamentarian Bernard Clerfayt has also sought action. He said Moinil should either identify the politician or provide the name to the Brussels Parliament’s deontological commission so the allegation can be examined through an appropriate institutional process.
Identity of parliamentarian remains undisclosed
No politician has been publicly identified as responsible for the request, and there is no verified basis for attributing it to a particular party or individual.
The immediate question is whether parliamentary leaders will seek further information from Moinil or refer the matter to an internal ethics procedure. Until additional information is officially disclosed, the identity of the parliamentarian and the circumstances surrounding the prisoner’s case remain unresolved.
