Lottery, banks: the chronology of the facts which lead to suspicion of Didier Reynders of money laundering

The National Lottery also explains why it did not report to the CTIF, the Financial Information Processing Unit (CTIF), as banks do when they notice suspicious money laundering transactions, something that the sector banking has also made in the other aspect which concerns Didier Reynders and which will be detailed below.

The National Lottery, it is explained by the institution specializing in games of chance, is not subject to this declaration obligation. The law of September 8, 2017 relating to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing and the limitation of the use of cash does not apply to the National Lottery. The legislator has in fact considered, after analyzing the risks, that the lottery games of the National Lottery presented a low risk in terms of money laundering. The legislator thus took into account the specific status of the National Lottery, which operates under the direct supervision of the State, as well as the nature of lottery games and the strict preventive procedures to combat problem gambling.

The National Lottery therefore did not have to notify the CTIF. On the other hand, she reported her suspicions to the courts based on Article 29 of the Code of Criminal Investigation. The latter provides in particular that “tany constituted authority, any civil servant or public officer […] who, in the exercise of his functions acquires knowledge of a crime or an offense, will be required to give notice immediately to the King’s prosecutor at the court in whose jurisdiction this crime or offense took place been committed or in which the accused could be found, and to transmit to this magistrate all the information, minutes and acts relating thereto. National Lottery officials therefore complied with this code.