Former European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders Under Investigation for Money Laundering

Belgian police have conducted raids on two residences of Didier Reynders, a former European Justice Commissioner, as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering linked to lottery purchases during his time as a minister. The operation took place on Tuesday, coinciding closely with Reynders' departure from his EU position just three days earlier.

Reynders, a member of the liberal party, held the position of foreign minister from 2011 to 2019. His investigation has arisen following a complaint submitted by the Financial Information Processing Unit (Ctif) and the National Lottery, which flagged suspicious transactions involving significant sums linked to lottery ticket purchases.

Although Reynders has not been arrested due to his current immunity status, the investigation relates to a period when he was serving both as a minister and later as a European Commissioner. Reports suggest that should the Brussels Prosecutor's Office decide to move forward with the case, they will need to seek authorization from the House of Representatives to proceed.

This latest development comes shortly after Reynders stepped out of the political spotlight, having not been reelected in the new European Commission led by President Ursula von der Leyen.

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