Former EU justice chief Didier Reynders suspected of money laundering

The Belgian federal police raided several properties linked to former European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders on suspicion of money laundering, Follow the Money and Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported.

For years, Reynders allegedly bought lottery tickets through the National Lottery, an organisation which he was in charge of as a minister between 2007 and 2011. The top politician was said to have then transferred the laundered profits into his private account.

The investigation has been on-going for months, but investigators waited until the end of his term at the European Commission on Sunday, which also marked the end of his EU immunity.

In order to perform a raid, the Belgian police required permission from the College of Commissioners, which Reynders himself was a member of, and therefore did not want to risk jeapordising the investigation.

Reynders served as the justice commissioner from 2019 until 2024. Previously, the top politician served as the Belgian finance minister from 1999 until 2011.

One of the properties raided was Reynder’s private property. The former EU justice chief was questioned by police until Tuesday evening.