Senior police officers do not intend to attend the parliamentary hearing on the failed i-Police project. The police have enlisted the assistance of a law firm that points to the duty of discretion and confidentiality of police officers. According to this reasoning, anyone who does testify risks being held liable or facing disciplinary sanctions. Commissioner General Eric Snoeck and two others have announced that they will not be present.
During the hearings, the intention is to first hear police officers and experts, followed by the politicians involved. The list includes Commissioner General Eric Snoeck and his predecessor Marc De Mesmaeker. Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V), who previously worked as a lawyer for Sopra Steria without reporting it, former Minister of the Interior Jan Jambon (N-VA) and current Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Quintin (MR) will also be questioned.
The i-Police project was discontinued by Quintin because the scope was not achieved. More than 100 million of the total 299 million euros had already been spent without much result. Sopra Steria, traditionally the IT supplier to the federal police, won the contract at the time with a consortium together with KPMG, Microsoft, Orbit, Niche and TA9.
