Didier Reynders, former EU Justice Commissioner, is under scrutiny for alleged money laundering activities involving lottery winnings. The Belgian authorities have been investigating Reynders, who reportedly bought lottery tickets and funneled the winnings into his private accounts. As part of the investigation, several properties linked to Reynders, including his private residence, were raided by the police.
Reynders held significant positions in Belgian politics before his tenure as EU Justice Commissioner from 2019 to 2024. He was a prominent member of the liberal Mouvement Réformateur party and served as Belgium's finance minister from 1999 to 2011. The allegations suggest that during his time overseeing the National Lottery, Reynders engaged in laundering illicit funds via gambling.
The investigation had been quietly underway for months, with the authorities waiting for the end of Reynders' EU mandate to proceed without the constraints of diplomatic immunity. The complexity of the case is compounded by the unclear origins of the funds used to purchase the lottery tickets and the total amounts involved.
The probe extends beyond lottery transactions, with suspicions of using bribes for acquiring art and real estate. These revelations have sparked significant attention, considering Reynders' past influential roles and his attempted bids for higher positions within the European political sphere. The investigation continues to unfold, as Belgian authorities delve deeper into the financial activities of the former commissioner.
