Before Koekelberg can take up the post, the review of the recent trip by the P Committee, which supervises police matters, must be completed. During the trip to Qatar, where Koekelberg (pictured) was lobbying for a post as vice-president of Interpol, €92,000 was spent for a delegation of seven people on top hotels, business class flights, a reception for 800 people, gifts for those attending and three Delvaux suitcases, each costing €400. Total expenditures exceeded €92,000.

In an interview with De Morgen, Turtelboom described the former commissioner as “a very hard- working policeman” with “a great deal of expertise”. She praised Koekelberg for resigning rather than dragging the matter through the courts and suggested he wasn’t responsible for the extravagant costs. “He didn’t book the trip to Qatar, he didn’t order the tickets, he didn’t organise the reception; but he is responsible because he is the head of the federal police.” Meanwhile, Koekelberg has filed a legal complaint against the person who sent an anonymous letter to the judicial authorities bringing the circumstances of the Qatar trip to light.

It was also revealed last week that the administrator general of the Customs and Excise department received authorisation from finance minister Didier Reynders in 2008 to spend €147,000 to lobby for a post as secretary- general of the World Customs Union. The final bill, however, came to only €59,300.