The article from La Lettre reveals significant details about corruption within NATO, particularly focusing on the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The investigation highlights several key points:
System of Kickbacks: La Lettre, in partnership with Belgian newspapers Le Soir and Knack, and Dutch news site Follow the Money, uncovered a system of kickbacks linked to NATO's awarding of contracts worth over $100 million. This system involves former NATO military personnel who have become consultants, operating across various European cities, including Lugano, Luxembourg, Brussels, Frankfurt, and Washington 1,2.
Internal Audit Pressure: The head of internal audit at the NSPA, Gerardo Bellantone, reported repeated pressure from Stacy Cummings, the agency's chief, to exclude specific missions aimed at examining the anti-corruption system from the 2025 audit. This pressure suggests a deliberate effort to avoid scrutiny of potential corruption within the agency 1,2.
Whistleblower Silence: Geneviève Machin, the outgoing head of HR at NSPA, sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte in February 2025, detailing "fraud, corruption, and compliance issues" implicating Stacy Cummings and her close collaborators. Despite these allegations, NATO has reportedly taken limited action, indicating a pattern of silencing whistleblowers 1,3.
Corruption Cases: The investigation revealed at least three corruption cases involving Belgian employees of the NSPA, who are alleged to have passed confidential information to defense companies seeking lucrative NATO contracts. These contracts cover a range of military equipment, including aircraft, helicopters, ammunition, and fuel, for the period between 2021 and 2025 4,5.
Political Interference: The silence from the Department of Justice and the "very strange" lack of response to inquiries about the corruption cases suggest possible political interference. This interference is further indicated by the dropping of charges against some suspects, despite evidence of their involvement in corruption 4,6,7.
NATO's Response: Despite NATO's public stance of "zero tolerance for fraud or corruption," the agency has been criticized for its handling of the corruption allegations. The Secretary General, Mark Rutte, has promised to "root out" corruption, but the investigations reveal a series of interventions intended to cover up these cases rather than address them transparently 1,8.
The article paints a picture of a deeply entrenched system of corruption within NATO, where whistleblowers are silenced, and internal investigations are hindered by political and administrative pressures. The scale of the corruption, involving significant sums of money and multiple high-value contracts, underscores the need for more rigorous oversight and transparency within the organization.
Rich people are too fragile for jail. When tabloids will discover how truely awful jail really is, they'll all turn prison abolitionist. It's happening in france with sarkozy right now lmao they look surprised it's nothing like the holiday club they spoke about for years.
Biggest nazi journalist of France started praising Melanchon (the guy he called a terrorist supporter and an antisemite for the last two years) because Brussel want to forbid people from getting overdraft on their bank account. The right wingers and the light reds voted for.
I mean I knew a very beautiful woman from france. Something could have happened between us, there was a spark, but then she started whining about gipsies and arabs.
I love it when somebody spit anti immigration bs and i call them nazi and they say "well millions of people are nazis then" and I'm like "yes they are"
I'm a feet guy, am I smart?
nah fr i like my wifu's face