Agusta affair
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The Agusta affair (also known as Agusta-Dassault affair ) was a corruption affair in connection with the purchase of attack helicopters by the Belgian army from the Italian manufacturer Agusta in 1988. The affair came to light through a search of the Belgian headquarters of Agusta and its lobbyist Georges Cywie . It led to the resignation of several important politicians.
In January 1994 the Belgian Senate voted in favor of a partial waiver of the parliamentary immunity of the two regional ministers Guy Spitaels ( PS ) and Guy Mathot (PS) as a result of a report by examining magistrate Véronique Ancia .
Belgian Defense Minister Guy Coëme ( PS ) had to resign in January 1994. He was followed by Foreign Minister Franck Vandenbroucke ( SP ) in March of the same year and, on October 20, 1995, by NATO Secretary General Willy Claes .
The Belgian Court of Cassation sentenced Willy Claes to three years probation on 23 December 1998 and forbade him to hold public office for five years. Guy Coëme and Guy Spitaels were sentenced to two years probation and are not allowed to hold office for five years. French industrialist Serge Dassault was sentenced to two years probation. Only Guy Mathot was acquitted of the allegations.
In total, Agusta and Dassault paid more than 160 million Belgian francs (approx. € 4 million) in bribes to the Parti Socialiste and the Socialist Partij. The Parti Socialiste had to repay 49 million francs and the Socialist Partij 111 million francs.
Judgments
| Surname | function | Political party | Deed (Agusta case) | Act (Dassault case) | punishment | Fine ( Belgian Francs ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andre Bastien | Chief of Staff at Coëme | PS | - | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
6 months probation | 6,000 |
| Willy Claes | Economics Minister | SP | Passive corruption | Passive corruption | 3 years probation | 60,000 |
| Guy Coëme | Defense Minister | PS | - | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
2 years probation | 60,000 |
| Serge Dassault | Director Dassault Group | - | - | Active corruption | 2 years probation | 60,000 |
| Johan Delanghe | Claes Chief of Staff | SP | Passive corruption | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
18 months | 60,000 |
| Auguste Merry Hermanus | chief of staff | PS | - | Passive corruption | 1 year probation | 30,000 |
| Etienne Mangé | Treasurer Socialist Partij | SP | - | - | 1 year probation | 30,000 |
| Jean-Louis Mazy | Chief of Staff at Coëme | PS | - | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
6 months probation | 6,000 |
| Alfons Puelinckx | Lawyer | - | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
Passive corruption | 2 years imprisonment | 60,000 |
| Francois Pirot | Vice-Secretary Parti Socialiste | PS | - | Passive corruption | 3 months probation | 6,000 |
| Guy Spitaels | Chairman Parti Socialiste | PS | - | Passive corruption | 2 years probation | 60,000 |
| Luc Wallyn | Secretary Parti Socialiste | PS | Passive corruption forgery of documents |
Passive corruption | 2 years probation | 60,000 |