Former Belgian deputy prime minister and European Commissioner Didier Reynders has been placed under formal investigation on suspicion of money laundering.
Reynders was questioned on 16 October and then placed “under suspicion” by investigating judge Olivier Leroux. The development became public on 4 November. He is not in custody. His spouse, retired magistrate Bernadette Prignon, has not been placed under suspicion. The Brussels prosecutor general’s office has not confirmed the information, and lawyers for Reynders and Prignon have declined to comment.
The inquiry concerns roughly €1 million that entered Reynders’s accounts over a period of years, including a pattern of cash deposits made in small tranches between 2008 and 2018. According to prior reporting, banking questions were first raised in 2018. The origin of the funds remains a central focus of the investigation.
A separate strand involves lottery activity flagged by Belgium’s National Lottery. Internal monitoring reportedly detected unusually high purchases of certain digital lottery products linked to accounts associated with Reynders and, separately, his spouse. Authorities are examining approximately €200,000 in lottery spending and subsequent credits, including scratch-card purchases, to assess whether the flows were used to recycle cash into the banking system.
The case became public in December 2024, shortly after the end of Reynders’s term as EU Justice Commissioner. Belgian authorities searched properties and opened an inquiry into possible money laundering practices. At that time, reports highlighted the National Lottery alerts and bank notifications to the financial intelligence unit (CTIF/CFI).
Reynders has previously been cited by media in connection with other high-profile controversies, including the so-called “Kazakhgate” affair concerning expansive use of Belgium’s extended settlement law by three businessmen in 2011. Allegations that Reynders facilitated passage of the law were not established, and the present investigation is distinct, focusing on financial flows linked to lottery transactions and cash deposits.
In parallel, prosecutors in Brussels are examining the conduct of ING Belgium in relation to the Reynders accounts. Questions have been raised about why the bank’s formal suspicious-activity report was filed years after the start of the cash-deposit pattern, and whether any undue influence may have affected escalation. The probe into the bank—reported in August—centres on potential influence peddling and the timing of the bank’s reporting to authorities.
Media reports indicate that during questioning in 2018 about the cash deposits, Reynders stated the funds derived from art sales. After that point, the cash deposits reportedly ceased, while substantial lottery purchases followed; any winnings were credited to his bank account. Investigators have sought to verify whether proceeds can be substantiated by art transactions or other lawful sources. To date, the full provenance of the funds under examination has not been publicly clarified.
Formal placement under suspicion is a procedural step in Belgian law indicating that a judge considers there are indications justifying further investigation and potential charges; it does not constitute a determination of guilt. Reynders has not commented publicly since the latest procedural move was reported. The Brussels prosecutor general’s office has declined to provide details while the inquiry is ongoing.
The matter carries institutional sensitivities given Reynders’s prior role as Justice Commissioner in the European Commission’s 2019–2024 term, during which the EU pursued rule-of-law and anti-corruption initiatives. Belgian and international media have noted the potential implications for public trust, while underscoring that the investigation is at a pre-trial stage and centred on evidentiary questions—particularly the source of funds and the mechanics of lottery-linked transactions.
