Newly launched Nationwide Lottery information reveals how two suspicious accounts, presumably belonging to the ex-EU Commissioner and his spouse, caught out like a sore thumb, as they collectively splurged almost €50,000 of lottery tickets in a 12 months.
Former Belgian finance minister and ex-EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders was questioned by police on Tuesday, 3 December, regarding suspicions of cash laundering partially carried out via the Nationwide Lottery.
He has denied felony allegations made in opposition to him, saying the funds had been from his non-public property, and that he is serving to the Justice of the Peace with inquiries.
However recent info now launched by the Belgian Nationwide Lottery in a doc seen by Euronews shines a highlight on how the alleged rip-off could have labored — or did not.
The allegation is that Reynders and his spouse bought e-tickets: lottery vouchers price as a lot as €100 that may be purchased in bodily retailers earlier than they’re deposited in a participant’s on-line account. Winnings can then be transferred into an everyday checking account.
First drawback: e-tickets aren’t an enormous a part of the lottery’s enterprise mannequin, so excessive gross sales volumes drew loads of consideration. In 2024, out of 6500 factors of sale, simply 4 offered greater than €10,000 of e-tickets, the Nationwide Lottery has stated.
In 2021, common checks by the Lottery — which is co-owned by the Belgian state and sovereign wealth fund — famous one single level of sale had offered numerous tickets; additional probes recommend these had been linked to simply two accounts, recognized as being politically delicate.
Out of over a million people who play the lottery, the 39 accounts that deposited over €20,000 per 12 months rang an additional alarm bell internally, the Lottery stated.
Precisely two accounts caught out like a sore thumb: they every deposited almost €25,000, and raised additional suspicions as a result of they reloaded utilizing high-value e-tickets, and largely transferred slightly than reinvesting winnings.
These two accounts, believed to be owned by Reynders and his spouse, present up sharply on a exceptional chart issued by the Nationwide Lottery.
Public prosecutor was first notified in 2022
The Nationwide Lottery stated that, after noting the suspicious behaviour, it enlisted KPMG to review it additional, and by early 2022 concluded a danger of cash laundering — a priority signalled to federal prosecutors in March 2022.
Prosecutors did not reply with a request for additional info till August 2023, the Lottery stated — and within the meantime there have been issues that taking additional motion, equivalent to freezing Reynders’ account, would unduly elevate suspicions.
It isn’t fairly clear what explains that lengthy hiatus — although the truth that prosecutors waited till simply two days after Reynders’ five-year Fee time period ended recommended they had been involved he would profit from some type of authorized immunity attributable to his mandate.
The Brussels prosecutor-general has confirmed to Euronews the existence of the case, however declined to remark additional.
Neither is it recognized what the police imagine was the supply of the allegedly illicit funds, which Belgian media has claimed are price as a lot as €1 million, of which round 20% was reportedly funneled via the lottery.
Reynders, talking via a lawyer, has stated the funds got here from his “non-public wealth” and are unrelated to his political duties.
He has additionally beforehand stated accusations he accepted bribes whereas a Belgian minister had been a “vicious assault” designed to cease him turning into an EU Commissioner, they usually weren’t taken ahead by prosecutors.
Casinos are well-known for attracting money-launderers as a result of excessive utilization of money and relative anonymity. However lotteries are usually considered as much less of an issue.
The Nationwide Lottery itself factors to comparatively low payout charges and strict controls on deposits as proof that they aren’t helpful to would-be criminals.
The truth that Reynders’ alleged behaviour drew such consideration does recommend they might have some extent, and that this isn’t an efficient method for any wrongdoer to cover illicit funds.
Euronews’ recommendation is easy: do not launder cash, and should you do, undoubtedly do not do it utilizing the Nationwide Lottery.
