ING bank probed for role in Didier Reynders money laundering case

ING Belgium has come under investigation for its role in the money laundering case that involves former European Commissioner Didier Reynders, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reports.

The bank is being probed by the Brussels prosecutor's office for potential acts of "influence peddling".

Last December, the prosecutor started investigating former EU Justice Commissioner Reynders for an alleged practice involving purchasing multiple lottery tickets through the National Lottery over several years, an organisation which he was in charge of as a Belgian finance minister between 2007 and 2011.

It is alleged that Reynders deposited the resulting - and now-laundered -profits into his personal account.

According to the report, the former Commissioner deposited some €700,000 in cash on his ING account between 2008 and 2018. The bank did not ask him questions until 2018, and only notified the Financial Intelligence Processing Unit in 2023. 

Under Belgian law, banks have the obligation to report suspicious transactions. 

Reynders previously denied the allegations, saying the funds were from his private estate.  

The investigation into ING Belgium came after the Belgian National Bank submitted its inspection report to the authorities. 

Current ING Belgium CEO, Peter Adams, and his predecessor, Erik Van Den Eynden, have already been summoned for questioning in the case.

A spokesperson for ING Belgium told Euronews that it cannot comment on “individual cases.”

“We take our role as guardian of the financial system very seriously. We comply with all applicable rules and regulations,” the spokesperson said.

The prosecutor's office did not reply to a request for comment.