A Brussels court has ordered Belgian biometrics company Semlex and 13 other defendants to stand trial over alleged corruption, money laundering and tax fraud linked to a contract to produce biometric passports in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The decision, made by Brussels’ Council Chamber on Monday, follows a criminal investigation into the passport deal. The allegations have not been proven in court.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that Semlex and an unspecified number of its employees had been referred to the criminal court, but declined to provide further details.
Semlex produced biometric passports for Congo between 2015 and 2025.
Reuters reported in 2017 that millions of dollars generated by the passport contract had been channelled offshore, including to a company linked to a relative of then-President Joseph Kabila. Reuters was unable to conclusively establish a link between that company and Kabila himself.
Civil parties in the case, including 51 Congolese citizens and anti-corruption organisations, said the alleged scheme resulted in nearly $60 million being diverted.
They said the passport deal also pushed the cost of a Congolese passport to about $185, with $60 from each document allegedly going to a company owned by Kabila’s relative.
Semlex did not respond to requests for comment on the latest court decision. The company said in 2017 that it was the target of a smear campaign.
A lawyer who has previously represented Semlex also declined to comment.
A person close to Kabila said the former president had no comment because he was not directly associated with the case. Kabila’s relative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Council Chamber also did not respond to a request for comment.
The case was joined by civil parties in 2020, after Congolese citizens and anti-corruption groups filed a complaint seeking to participate in the ongoing investigation.
The groups said the court decision could result in the first trial of a Belgian company over alleged bribery of foreign public officials, although Reuters could not independently confirm that this would be the first such case.
The referral comes after years of criticism from activists and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development over Belgium’s enforcement of overseas corruption cases.
A trial date has not yet been set.
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