Key facts
- A Brussels court has ordered Belgian biometrics company Semlex and 13 other defendants to stand trial.
- The charges include alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud.
- The case is linked to a contract for producing passports in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- Civil parties, including Congolese citizens and anti-corruption groups, confirmed the court's decision.
- The alleged scheme is said to have resulted in the diversion of nearly $60 million.
A Brussels court has ordered Belgian biometrics company Semlex and 13 other defendants to stand trial for alleged corruption, money laundering, and tax fraud. The charges are linked to a contract for producing passports in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Civil parties involved in the case confirmed the decision, which they stated could lead to the first trial of a Belgian company over alleged bribery of foreign public officials.
Reuters reported in 2017 that millions of dollars from the production of Congo's biometric passports were allegedly channeled offshore, including to a company linked to a relative of then-President Joseph Kabila. Civil parties claim the scheme resulted in the diversion of nearly $60 million.
Semlex produced passports for Congo between 2015 and 2025. The deal reportedly caused the cost of Congo's passports to nearly double to $185 each, with $60 from each fee allegedly going to a company owned by Kabila's relative. Semlex has previously stated it was the target of a smear campaign.
The court referral follows years of criticism from activists and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development regarding Belgium's limited enforcement of overseas corruption cases.