Head of Belgian expo pavilion subject of police enquiry

Former government minister Leo Delcroix (pictured), in charge of the Belgian pavilion at the current World Expo in Milan, is under investigation for alleged irregularities during his previous stint in charge of the pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai five years ago.

According to newspaper L’Echo, police last year executed a search warrant on Delcroix’s office in the federal economy ministry, on the orders of the prosecutor’s office in Tongeren. A number of document archives were sealed.

The Tongeren prosecutor’s office has confirmed that an investigation is currently under way amid allegations of mismanagement of the Shanghai pavilion. The Court of Auditors in 2013 reported that so many rules had been broken or ignored at Shanghai that a proper inspection of the finances of the operation was “simply impossible”.

Six members of staff, for example, received a €10,000 bonus for reasons that cannot be identified. The construction and the later sale of the pavilion for €6.35 million – where most of the pavilion’s profits come from – took place outside the terms of the contract. The Court blamed the economy ministry for failing to keep proper records.

“My client is giving his full co-operation to the investigation,” Delcroix’s lawyer told De Morgen. Delcroix has not been interviewed regarding any form of irregularity, and he is also not a suspect in that investigation. He is confident the enquiry will make further progress.”

Photo courtesy Gazet van Antwerpen