New Lachausée response
On July 10, RTBF and ZDF broadcast reports in which the two channels discuss in detail the allegations contained in a report by KPMG Germany, which refers to the potential use by Russian military forces of ammunition produced by machine tools supplied by New Lachaussée in Serbia. The report is based on a single source, namely the author of the KPMG Germany report.
New Lachaussée contests all the elements raised in the KPMG report and, therefore in the RTBF/ZDF TV reports, which suggest that New Lachaussée directly and/or indirectly supplies material for military use in Russia. What is said in these documents is based on personal queries, which are never confirmed by facts.
New Lachaussée fully understands that the highly sensitive geopolitical context warrants the utmost transparency. For this reason, it has taken care to answer all the questions by KPMG Germany, RTBF and ZDF. However, New Lachaussée notes that the clarifications it provided were never considered.
New Lachaussée states that, since 2014, it has at no time had no direct or indirect business relations with any organization active in armaments established in Russia. In doing so, as it has always done, New Lachaussée complies with all regulations in force, both national and international.
Despite the personal questioning of the ex-rapporteur from KPMG Germany and RTBF/ZDF, New Lachaussée points out that there is no evidence or facts to support the presence in Russia of ammunition produced using machine tools supplied by New Lachaussée in Serbia.
This lack of evidence was also noted by the Walloon Government in Belgium, which, after the TV reports were broadcast, sent a delegation to Serbia to ensure that the machines delivered were still present on site and that the ammunition produced had not been sent to Russia. Following a 3-day on-site investigation, the mission concluded that New Lachaussée was fully complying with all its obligations (see here).
In conclusion, New Lachaussée notes and regrets that it has been falsely accused by a KPMG Germany consultant of facts that are neither proven nor true. Since they are based on this one and only source, the allegations contained in the RTBF and ZDF TV reports are equally contested.