#Pipigate: Belgium’s justice minister apologizes to the police

In the land of Manneken Pis, a “Pipigate” affair is making headlines. Belgium’s Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne was forced to apologize on Thursday. He was sorry that guests at his 50th birthday party urinated against a police car, he said at a hearing before the Justice Committee of the Belgian Parliament.

“I apologize to all police officers in the country,” Van Quickenborne said. The Flemish Liberal politician admitted that the police officers deployed to protect him “perceived the incident as a personal attack.” The officers brought his wife flowers for the celebration, “and as a thank you they urinated against her car,” he said indignantly. The minister regretted that some of his guests even relieved themselves three times.

Belgium’s judiciary is investigating charges of insulting civil servants

The judiciary is investigating three suspects for insulting officials. Van Quickenborne said he urged his acquaintances to turn themselves in. The incident on August 14th came to light after the public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation at Van Quickenborne’s home in Kortrijk in the northwest of the country.

Police unions are calling for the justice minister to resign. To exonerate himself, Van Quickenborne released video from his own surveillance camera. However, this put the minister under even greater pressure. Because it shows him making a hand gesture in front of his house in the early hours of the morning as if he were urinating.

Van Quickenborne said he couldn’t remember it. The gesture could also have something to do with a hobby: “I play the western guitar, maybe it’s a guitar movement.”