Belgian prosecutors have charged former EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders with money laundering, accusing him of channeling hundreds of thousands of euros through personal bank accounts and lottery winnings. The case centers on nearly €1 million linked to Reynders’ finances, with investigators alleging he laundered about €700,000 via his bank account and €200,000 through lottery ticket purchases. Reynders, who led the EU’s campaign to freeze Russian assets, denies wrongdoing and remains free while the case proceeds. The inquiry follows raids on Reynders’ properties in December 2024, shortly after his EU mandate expired. Judge Olivier Leroux formally indicted him last month after a second round of questioning, having found serious indications of guilt, the investigative outlet Follow the Money reported. The development comes as the bloc continues to debate how to use around $300 billion in immobilized Russian assets to fund Ukraine. EU leaders have so far failed to agree on whether to channel the funds, most of which are held at the Brussels-based clearinghouse Euroclear, into a controversial loan program to support Kiev, after Belgium demanded stronger legal safeguards. International law prohibits the confiscation of sovereign assets, a rule that many EU capitals, the ECB, and the IMF insist is unbreakable. Moscow has condemned both the freeze and any plans to repurpose the funds. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that channeling Russian assets to Ukraine would “boomerang” against the West. Finance Minister Anton Siluanov promised a reciprocal response.