Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne apologized Thursday in parliament for the conduct of three of his 50th birthday party guests, who urinated several times on a police van, and showed a video to support that he was not aware or had unseemly behavior.

"I felt ashamed of the people I invited who urinated, not once but three times, on a police van ... It is inadmissible," Van Quickenborne said Thursday in an extraordinary appearance before the Justice Committee of the Federal Parliament to explain himself about a scandal that in Belgium is known as the 'pipigate'.

Although it happened three weeks ago, the incident transcended to the media last Monday through the Flemish public radio and television VRT and since then it has captured the attention of the media, the political class and social networks in Belgium, until reaching the Federal Parliament.

"I find it surreal to have to describe every minute of that night. But that's what they ask of me, so I do it," said the Flemish liberal to expose his version of events in a scene criticized by police unions and political parties and parodied inside and outside the country.

"From the set of Quotidien (France) to Dutch television: the 'pipigate' of Van Quickborne, object of mockery by our neighbors," says an article published Thursday by the Belgian public broadcaster RTBF, which these days has opened the news with the incident.

The minister turned 50 on August 1 and on the night of August 14 to 15 he organized a party with 60 guests at his home in the Flemish town of Kortrijk (southwest), of which he has been mayor since 2013.

"Turning fifty is an important moment (...) I wanted to have a party like when I was young," said Van Quickborne, who detailed that many of his guests were "heavy metal fans."

Police cameras outside the house recorded how three of his friends left the house at 20.39 hours at night of cars and urinated against an empty police van parked in front of the house of the head of Justice, which enjoys special protection because a year ago the security forces thwarted an attempted kidnapping attributed to organized crime.

There was a second urinary excursion to the van at 22.05 and a third episode at 00.02.

But those images did not transcend and are in the possession of the Prosecutor's Office, which investigates the facts, and for now only the story of a journalist from the VRT chain who has seen them and whose story compromises the head of Justice is known.

The minister did not dispute those facts, but provided another recording of the security cameras of the house to, he said, "prove" that the "insinuations" that he was aware are erroneous.

The video - which Van Quickborne had already transferred to the media and which he projected today in parliament - shows how the minister leaves the house with a friend at 3.59 in the morning, four hours after the last urination of his other guests.

Next, there is a sequence with different interpretations: the politician jokes with his friend several meters from the van, imitates what may seem to be the posture of a drunk urinating, they take a 'selfie', approach the police van and Van Quickborne opens and closes the door of the vehicle.

The minister says he went out to say goodbye to his best friend and insists he didn't know what his guests did. He does not remember what exactly his position of discord responded to at the end of an early night of partying with abundant alcohol, but he pointed out that the interpretation of those who believe that he plays an imaginary guitar seems feasible.

"I'm a guitar fan, I like heavy metal, it can be," said Van Quickborne, who explained that he opened and closed the door of the police vehicle "because it was not properly locked."

The minister said he only learned days later of his friends' behavior and described to deputies his reaction to learning what had happened.

"I called them, insulted them and told them they had to go to the prosecutor's office," said Van Quickborne, who also said he personally apologized to police officers viewing the images to protect his family.

"I apologize to all the police officers who travel daily in a van like the one that was parked at my door," he added.

  • Belgium