The charge comes after months of investigations into a series of suspicious transactions uncovered by Belgian authorities.
Former European Commissioner and former Belgian minister, Didier Reynders, has been officially placed under investigation for money laundering, following a series of suspicious transactions uncovered by Belgian authorities.
The news was reported by the media outlets De Standaard, Le Soir, Le Vif and the investigative platform Follow The Money, citing judicial sources. According to reports, Reynders was questioned on October 16, after which the investigating judge decided to place him “under indictment” for money laundering. His wife, Bernadette Prignon, a former honorary magistrate, was also heard by investigators, but was not charged.
The investigation began after the Belgian National Lottery detected suspicious sales of electronic tickets at a gas station in Uccle dating back to 2021. An internal investigation later linked the transactions to accounts belonging to Reynders and his wife. The couple is suspected of laundering around 200 euros through lottery products over a five-year period.
According to Belgian media, between 2008 and 2018, Reynders deposited around 700 euros in small amounts into an ING bank account. After questions from the bank about the origin of the money, he is suspected of changing his method, buying large quantities of scratch-off tickets with cash. The Brussels prosecutor’s office has not yet issued an official comment, stating that it will “respect the judicial process.”