![[FILE] Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler (L) and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte (C) during the official photo with NATO Defense Ministers during a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) defense ministers meeting at the NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, 05 June 2025. EFE-EPA/OLIVIER MATTHYS](https://i0.wp.com/efe.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/rss-efed6dd92b7c59a6d4d80f85f3dc269d2d4752f3b84w.webp?fit=1920%2C1280&ssl=1)
Brussels (EFE).— NATO reiterated on Wednesday that it has “zero tolerance for fraud or corruption” following new media reports alleging irregularities within the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the transatlantic alliance’s body responsible for acquiring military equipment and services, based in Luxembourg.
“NATO has no tolerance for fraud or corruption,” NATO spokesperson Allison Hart told EFE.
The case centers on the NSPA, which manages the procurement, operation, and maintenance of weapons systems, as well as fuel supply, port and airport logistics, air transport, and medical and catering services.
When the first details of the alleged corruption surfaced in May, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte pledged to get “to the root” of the issue.
That same month, the Luxembourg Prosecutor’s Office announced that police had carried out several raids in connection with an investigation into current and former NSPA officials suspected of using their positions for personal gain, resulting in the seizure of documents.
Authorities in Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and the United States conducted simultaneous operations, leading to multiple arrests, the prosecutor’s office said.
Recent reports in Le Soir, Knack, and Follow the Money revealed additional details about the alleged corruption schemes. In Belgium, the probe led to the arrest of three people last May.
According to a VRT investigation, the suspects allegedly leaked confidential information to defense contractors seeking NATO contracts for aircraft, helicopters, fuel, and ammunition between 2021 and 2025. One suspect remains in custody, another wears an electronic monitor, and the third has been released on bail.
Hart said that, under NATO’s 2022 anti-fraud and anti-corruption strategy, the NSPA established its own internal investigation branch in 2023.
“In relation to these cases, the NSPA proactively initiated cooperation with national law enforcement agencies and continues to provide full support to their investigations into alleged criminal activities by current and former agency employees,” Hart said.
She added that the Belgian federal prosecutor requested on May 12 the lifting of immunity for three NSPA staff members, past and present — a request that Rutte approved the same day.
“To avoid interfering with ongoing investigations and judicial proceedings, NATO cannot comment further on the cases,” Hart said.
Rutte and the NSPA’s director general have since created a joint working group between NATO headquarters and the agency’s staff to strengthen investigative capacity and address any fraud or corruption involving employees or contractors.
“In April 2025, the Secretary General also initiated reforms of NATO’s structures and processes to enhance governance, reduce bureaucracy, and improve oversight, including within NATO agencies,” Hart said.
She emphasized that Rutte considers it “essential” for NATO agencies to be managed effectively, in compliance with standards and regulations, and aligned with the priorities of member states.
To this end, the North Atlantic Council authorized Rutte to implement reforms, including the transfer of the secretariats of the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) and the NSPA to NATO’s international staff.
The transfer is now being prepared in close consultation with the agencies’ supervisory boards and is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. EFE
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