Belgian Court Sends Semlex and 13 Others to Trial Over Congo Passport Corruption and Money Laundering Allegations
A Brussels court has ordered Belgian biometrics company Semlex and 13 other defendants to stand trial over alleged corruption of foreign public officials, money laundering and tax fraud connected to a contract for biometric passports in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision was issued by the Brussels Council Chamber on 31 August 2026. A spokesperson for Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Semlex and an unspecified number of employees were among those referred to the criminal court. The allegations have not been proven in court, and a trial date has not yet been announced.
Semlex produced Congolese biometric passports between 2015 and 2025. According to the civil parties, including 51 Congolese citizens and several anti-corruption and human-rights organisations, the alleged scheme involved funds generated through passport fees being diverted offshore.
The passport price was US$185. Civil-party materials state that US$60 from each passport was allegedly channelled to LRPS Ltd, a Dubai-based company believed to be linked to a close associate of former Congolese President Joseph Kabila. They allege that nearly US$60 million was diverted through the arrangement.
The Belgian investigation has run for almost nine years. Civil-party organisations said investigators traced bank transactions, reviewed hundreds of emails and electronic messages, interviewed witnesses and suspects, and carried out international judicial requests in the DRC and the United Arab Emirates, where several companies connected to the matter were registered.
The case also has a broader anti-corruption significance. The civil parties say Semlex is the first Belgian company to be referred to a Belgian criminal court over alleged bribery of foreign public officials. Reuters said it could not independently confirm that the prosecution would be the first of its kind.
The referral marks a procedural step from investigation to criminal trial; it is not a conviction. The forthcoming proceedings will determine whether the corruption, money-laundering and tax-fraud allegations can be proven against Semlex and the other defendants.
