Belgian probe targets ex‑eu justice chief in lottery scandal
The European Commission was not informed about the investigation concerning the former EU Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders. The Belgian prosecution kept the investigation secret to ensure the politician was not forewarned. He is suspected of money laundering through the National Lottery.
The spokesperson for the European Commission, Paula Pinho, stated on Wednesday that the EC was unaware of the investigation against Didier Reynders, the former EU Commissioner for Justice. The Belgian prosecution decided to keep the investigation confidential so that Reynders would not be informed about it prematurely.
The first reports about the case appeared in the Belgian newspaper "Le Soir" and on the portal Follow the Money. On Tuesday evening, the police raided Reynders' house in Uccle, a luxurious suburb of Brussels, and his holiday home in Vissoul. The politician was interrogated well into the night.
The mysterious investigation by the Belgian prosecution regarding the National Lottery
Reynders is suspected of money laundering through the National Lottery. According to media reports, for nearly a decade, he bought lottery tickets valued from approximately 80 pence to £85, and then transferred their value to his account in the Belgian National Lottery.
At the time when the alleged violations occurred, Reynders did not supervise the National Lottery, but as the Minister of Finance, he was responsible for the institution.
Reynders purportedly participated in lottery games, and the winnings, already laundered, were deposited into his private account. It is unclear where the funds that the Belgian used to purchase the lottery tickets came from, which he will now have to prove.
EC representative, Balazs Ujvari, noted that the Commission remains at the disposal of Belgian services should they wish to make contact. He also emphasised that conducting proceedings against a sitting member of the EC must be approved by the college of commissioners.
This requirement made the prosecution wait to conduct the search until the end of Reynders' term, which concluded at the end of November. As a former commissioner, Reynders possesses immunity related to actions connected to his office, and the decision to revoke it must be made by the college of commissioners.
Former EC members also receive a pension or a transitional allowance. EC spokesperson Paula Pinho did not comment on the impact of the investigation on the European Commission's reputation as the guardian of justice in the EU.
