Belgian police have seized thousands of euros in cash from the properties of former European Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders, according to Belgian news outlet Le Soir. The police action is part of an ongoing investigation into allegations of money laundering involving the Belgian National Lottery.
Local Flemish media, De Standaard, reported earlier that €7,000 in cash was found during three separate raids. However, Le Soir pointed out that the discovery of these funds may not necessarily be problematic, considering Reynders’ extravagant lifestyle. Reynders resigned from his position as European Commissioner for Justice earlier this month.
The accusations suggest that Reynders used electronic lottery tickets to process large sums of money, raising suspicions of illegal transactions. His official expenses were reportedly capped at €500 per week, and it is alleged that Reynders used lottery tickets to bypass this limitation.
Belgian network RTBF reported that Reynders spent approximately €1 million on lottery tickets, with some purchases amounting to €200,000. From 1999 to 2011, Reynders served as Belgium’s Minister of Finance, according to local network Brusselsignal.
