16 billion euros are "laundered" in Belgium every year, according to data from the National Bank of Belgium, quoted in local media. Last year, 90 thousand dubious asset declarations were submitted to the financial authorities for verification, with 1,300 being forwarded to the prosecutor's office and affecting the origin of a total of 1.5 billion euros, BTA reported.
The data were presented yesterday at a meeting of a parliamentary committee dedicated to the responsibilities of banks in such cases. The hearing of representatives of the country's largest banks is related to the investigation against former Belgian European Commissioner for Justice and former Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Didier Reynders. Earlier this year, Reynders was questioned on suspicion of influence peddling and illegally enriching himself with one million euros.
Belgian prosecutors a few days ago reopened a money laundering case against Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who is said to have been linked to Reynders. The case against Deripaska was dropped while Reynders was a serving minister.