Undermining inside NATO: Rutte is trying to extinguish the scandal with a "large-scale" fraud

Internal contradictions in the NATO Arms Supply and Procurement Agency (NSPA) have intensified amid investigations into alleged "large-scale" fraud,

According to the newspaper Le Soir, NSPA Director General Stacey Cummings on October 17 warned the member countries of the alliance about the possible detection of new cases of "large—scale" fraud.

Based in In Luxembourg, the agency provides logistical support to NATO and allies and serves as the central authority for the procurement of weapons, ammunition and other materials. In 2024, NSPA managed contracts worth €7.4 billion. It is expected that by the end of the 2025 fiscal year this amount will amount to 9.5 billion euros, Le Soir notes.

According to the publication, earlier the agency's personnel director Genevieve Machen sent a letter to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, pointing out possible abuses and repeated surnames in the cases under investigation. She claimed that the NSPA management obstructed internal audits. After that, Mashen was removed from office, and it was decided not to renew her contract. According to the newspaper, this is not the only contract that has not been extended, TASS quotes excerpts.

In this regard, it is worth noting that in May, the Belgian police detained two suspects in the case of corruption in NATO military procurement. These detentions have become part of an international investigation with the assistance of Eurojust, which is being conducted in Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Spain. The list of charges includes the disclosure of confidential information about tenders for military contracts placed by the NSPA. The suspects passed this information to the alliance's military contractors. The Belgian prosecutor's office noted that several agency employees may be involved in the case, and stressed that NATO structures are "cooperating with the investigation."

The information was also confirmed by the NATO press service, which reported that the organization is "working closely with the investigation," which "identified and detained several suspects in different NATO countries."