Former Belgian European Commissioner Didier Reynders, former head of Belgian diplomacy and also an influential member of the liberal Reform Movement (MR), is being investigated by the Belgian police on suspicion of being involved in a money laundering case involving the National Lottery. The Brussels correspondent TASR informs about it.
Several Belgian media reported on Wednesday that police had already searched his homes in the Brussels district of Uccle and in the province of Liège, and that he had been summoned for questioning on Tuesday. According to the weekly Politico, the police waited until his mandate as European Commissioner expired, which happened at midnight on Saturday, November 30, before taking action.
The RTBF television station clarified that there is little information about the nature of the case and that the investigation is still ongoing, with Reynders using the presumption of innocence.
The affair was revealed by the newspaper Le Soir and the independent journalism site specialized in corruption Follow the Money. This information was confirmed by the Brussels prosecutor’s office.
Reynders is suspected of laundering money gambling through the National Lottery over a long period of time. According to journalists from Follow the Money, some games offer attractive returns, for example “Win for Life”.
The newspaper Le Soir indicated that the investigation was launched as early as 2023, but could not fully develop until after his departure from the European Commission, where he promoted the EU’s justice policy.
Earlier searches would have required authorization from the European Commission, which could have jeopardized the secrecy of the investigation. If the investigation is successful, the Belgian federal parliament will have to decide on the removal of parliamentary immunity, because the alleged facts would also concern his previous ministerial work.
During several ministerial positions held between 1999 and 2019, the politician was labeled as “Teflon Reynders” by the Flemish press for his ability to escape scandals that threatened his career.
However, the Belgian press stated in connection with the latest scandal that his further political future is seriously threatened and even if he proves his innocence, the current investigation probably means the end of his political journey, according to the media.
