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Belgium charges former EU Justice Commissioner with money laundering
(MENAFN) Belgian prosecutors have charged former EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders with money laundering, according to reports. Reynders, who previously led the EU’s efforts to freeze Russian state assets, is accused of funneling hundreds of thousands of euros through personal bank accounts and lottery winnings.
Reynders served as Belgium’s finance minister from 1999 to 2011 and as foreign minister until 2019, before becoming justice commissioner in the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. In that role, he oversaw the enforcement of Russian sanctions and coordinated asset freezes following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
According to reports, the case focuses on nearly €1 million ($1.2 million) linked to Reynders’ finances. Investigators allege he laundered about €700,000 through his bank accounts over a decade and another €200,000 by buying large quantities of lottery tickets and transferring the winnings to his account. His wife, a retired magistrate, has also been questioned but has not been charged.
The inquiry follows raids on Reynders’ properties in December 2024, shortly after his EU mandate ended. He was formally indicted last month after a second round of questioning, with investigators finding “serious indications of guilt,” according to reports. Reynders denies any wrongdoing and remains free while the case continues.
Under Belgian law, prosecutors must obtain parliamentary approval to bring a former minister to trial. Money laundering carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The case comes amid ongoing EU debates over how to use roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. EU leaders have yet to agree on whether the funds—most held at the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear—should be channeled into a loan program for Kiev, with Belgium pushing for stronger legal safeguards. International law prohibits the seizure of sovereign assets, a rule upheld by multiple EU capitals, the ECB, and the IMF.
Reynders served as Belgium’s finance minister from 1999 to 2011 and as foreign minister until 2019, before becoming justice commissioner in the European Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. In that role, he oversaw the enforcement of Russian sanctions and coordinated asset freezes following the escalation of the Ukraine conflict.
According to reports, the case focuses on nearly €1 million ($1.2 million) linked to Reynders’ finances. Investigators allege he laundered about €700,000 through his bank accounts over a decade and another €200,000 by buying large quantities of lottery tickets and transferring the winnings to his account. His wife, a retired magistrate, has also been questioned but has not been charged.
The inquiry follows raids on Reynders’ properties in December 2024, shortly after his EU mandate ended. He was formally indicted last month after a second round of questioning, with investigators finding “serious indications of guilt,” according to reports. Reynders denies any wrongdoing and remains free while the case continues.
Under Belgian law, prosecutors must obtain parliamentary approval to bring a former minister to trial. Money laundering carries a potential sentence of up to five years in prison.
The case comes amid ongoing EU debates over how to use roughly $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. EU leaders have yet to agree on whether the funds—most held at the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear—should be channeled into a loan program for Kiev, with Belgium pushing for stronger legal safeguards. International law prohibits the seizure of sovereign assets, a rule upheld by multiple EU capitals, the ECB, and the IMF.
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