Belgian authorities search properties linked to Tshisekedi family in money-laundering investigation

Belgian authorities have carried out coordinated searches in Brussels and parts of Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant as part of a money-laundering investigation launched following complaints filed by non-governmental organisations in July 2025.

Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the searches on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, saying they were conducted under a judicial investigation opened at its request.

“Several searches were carried out simultaneously today in Brussels and in several municipalities in Flemish and Walloon Brabant,” the office said in a statement.

Several dozen police officers took part in the operations, which targeted residences linked to members of the family of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi, according to reports on the investigation.

The prosecutor’s office did not publicly disclose the identities of all individuals targeted, the specific allegations under investigation or whether any arrests or seizures had been made.

The investigation concerns suspected money laundering. However, authorities have not publicly presented findings establishing criminal wrongdoing by the president or his relatives.

The searches mark a development in a case stemming from complaints submitted by non-governmental organisations in July 2025. The details of those complaints and the evidence collected by investigators have not been fully disclosed in the prosecutor’s public statement.

The investigation has drawn attention because of the political prominence of the Tshisekedi family and the longstanding connections between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Belgium.

The DRC, a major producer of minerals including copper and cobalt, has faced longstanding concerns about transparency and accountability in the management of its natural resources. However, the publicly available information cited in connection with the Belgian searches does not establish a direct link between the investigation and specific mining transactions.

Belgian authorities have not announced whether the investigation will lead to formal charges. The outcome will depend on the evidence gathered and the decisions taken by the competent judicial authorities.

The searches do not, in themselves, establish that any individual has committed a crime. The allegations remain subject to investigation, and further details are expected to depend on the progress of the judicial proceedings.