Belgian prosecutors charge 2 close associates of former EU Commissioner Reynders

By Melike Pala

BRUSSELS (AA) - Two associates of former Belgian foreign minister and European Commissioner Didier Reynders have been charged in an ongoing money laundering investigation in which Reynders himself was previously charged, Belga news agency reported on Monday.

Those charged are Jean-Claude Fontinoy, former chairman of state railway operator SNCB/NMBS and a close associate of Reynders, and Olivier Theunissen, an antique dealer based in Brussels' Sablon district.

Belgium's Attorney General Frederic Van Leeuw confirmed the charges to investigative media outlet Nationale 4, signaling that the probe has expanded to include individuals in Reynders' immediate circle.

Reynders is under investigation over allegations that he laundered nearly €1 million ($1.1 million) of funds of unclear origin.

In 2023, ING Bank alerted Belgium's Financial Intelligence Processing Unit about suspicious cash deposits allegedly made by Reynders over a 10-year period until 2018.

He is also suspected of purchasing lottery scratch cards over several years as part of a scheme to launder money, though the origin of the funds remains under investigation.

In June 2025, investigators searched two addresses linked to Theunissen, including an art gallery on Regentschapsstraat in Brussels and his residence in Lasne, in the Walloon Brabant province.

The investigation remains ongoing.