*NATO Procurement Agency drawn into multi-million-euro corruption scandal

As NATO prepares to sharply increase defense spending, a major corruption scandal has emerged at the heart of the alliance’s procurement system.

An investigation by Follow the Money, Le Soir, Knack, and La Lettre has uncovered a network of officials and consultants allegedly involved in bribery schemes tied to NATO contracts worth hundreds of thousands—possibly millions—of euros.

The case centers on the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), headquartered in Capellen, a village outside Luxembourg City where NATO manages the purchase of military equipment. Prosecutors allege that defense companies paid bribes to gain access to confidential information and secure contracts with NATO or its 32 member states.

Four cases, international reach

Since February, authorities have opened four criminal cases involving 11 suspects. In mid-May 2025, police carried out coordinated raids across seven countries, including Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, and the United States.

Belgian prosecutors are investigating four suspects for irregularities in NATO procurement. In the U.S., two people were indicted, including former NSPA official Scott Willason, though charges were dropped in July.

Another U.S. case targeted two Greek executives of a Romanian firm accused of bribing an NSPA official to secure maritime service contracts. In the Netherlands, investigators are probing bribery tied to an ammunition purchase by the Dutch defense ministry.

The FBI provided intelligence that triggered both the Belgian and Dutch investigations.

NSPA under scrutiny

Most suspects have direct or indirect ties to NSPA, which supports NATO and member states by drafting tenders, advising governments, and managing contracts. The agency employs nearly 1,600 staff and is expected to oversee €9.5 billion in procurement in 2025—almost three times its 2021 volume.

Investigators say the complexity of NATO procurement rules has given consultants with insider knowledge outsized influence. Five suspects previously worked at NSPA; others had business ties to former officials or were seeking agency contracts.

“NATO has zero tolerance for fraud or corruption,” spokesperson Allison Hart said, confirming that NATO has lifted the immunity of several current and former NSPA staff and launched a joint investigative task force.

NATO—A corruption scandal unfolded 2025

The Belgian case

A key suspect is Guy M., a 60-year-old former Belgian defense official who joined NSPA in 2014. He was arrested at Brussels Airport on 12 May 2025 and is accused of participating in a criminal organization, corruption, and money laundering involving up to €1.9 million.

According to sources familiar with the case, Guy M. confessed to parts of the scheme during interrogations. His lawyer, Pieterjan Dens, said his client cooperated fully but disputes the amount prosecutors claim was illicit.

Belgian authorities believe Guy M. received confidential information from within NSPA and passed it on to defense companies between 2021 and 2025.

The day after his arrest, Spanish police detained Tom V. B., a Belgian national and then-serving NSPA official. He was later extradited to Belgium and placed under house arrest. A third NSPA official was arrested in late June and conditionally released. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte lifted the immunity of all three, and their contracts were suspended.

All had previously worked together in the same NSPA ammunition team, which was once led by Scott Willason.

After leaving NSPA in 2021, Guy M. briefly joined a Luxembourg consultancy founded by Willason before setting up his own firm with his wife. Willason was arrested in Switzerland in May on suspicion of aiding Turkish businessman Ismail Terlemez in a bribery scheme. Both men were later released after U.S. authorities dropped their cases, raising allegations of political interference.

The Dutch link

The network extends to the Netherlands, where prosecutors are investigating alleged bribery involving Hans D. J., a senior defense ministry official responsible for ammunition purchases until August 2024. He was arrested at Schiphol Airport on the same day as Guy M.

Two Dutch businessmen, Ivo E. and Tilbert S.—business partners of Guy M.—are also suspects. While the Dutch case does not involve an NSPA contract directly, investigators say it is linked to the wider corruption network and was coordinated through Eurojust.

What happens next

Insiders and watchdogs point to NATO’s heavy reliance on consultants and limited transparency around procurement as key risk factors.

“NATO’s control framework was not designed for the current surge in military spending,” said Francesca Grandi of Transparency International. “Opacity is often justified in the name of national security, but it creates serious vulnerabilities.”

With U.S. prosecutions dropped, the focus now shifts to the outcome of the Belgian and Dutch investigations—and whether NATO can tighten oversight as defense budgets continue to rise.