Reported by Belga News Agency

(Excerpt shared below. To read full report, go to: https://www.belganewsagency.eu/ing-belgium-pays-16m-settlement-in-reynders-linked-probe)

ING Belgium has paid a €1.6 million out-of-court settlement to the Brussels public prosecutor to avoid prosecution in a money-laundering investigation linked to former minister Didier Reynders, the prosecutor’s office said on Tuesday.

The settlement, the maximum amount under Belgian criminal law for such offences, brings the case against the bank to a close. Prosecutors stressed that the payment does not constitute an admission of guilt.

The investigation was opened in 2025 after the National Bank of Belgium reported possible criminal breaches, raising concerns that ING may have failed to comply with anti-money-laundering obligations. Authorities examined why the bank did not report a series of transactions linked to Reynders to Belgium’s financial intelligence unit.

These included 245 cash deposits made between 2001 and 2017 totalling €836,500, as well as 779 lottery-related transfers between 2017 and 2024 worth more than €202,000. In total, over €1 million passed through the account without being flagged.