BRUSSELS — Belgian federal police have carried out coordinated searches at properties linked to relatives and associates of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi as part of an investigation into suspected money laundering.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed on Wednesday that the searches took place in Brussels and several municipalities in Flemish Brabant and Walloon Brabant. Several dozen police officers took part in the operations.
Authorities declined to identify the properties searched or disclose whether any individuals were questioned, assets seized or arrests made, citing the secrecy of the investigation and the presumption of innocence.
The investigation focuses on members of Tshisekedi’s family who hold Belgian nationality, rather than the Congolese president himself, who benefits from legal immunity as a sitting head of state.
The case stems from complaints filed in July 2025 by civil society organisations and four former executives of Gécamines, the Congolese state-owned mining company.
The complaints allege corruption, embezzlement of public funds and money laundering linked to mining activities in the southeastern provinces of Haut-Katanga and Lualaba.
The complainants allege that proceeds from mining operations were diverted and channelled through financial accounts and assets in Belgium. Investigators had previously sought bank records to examine the movement of funds.
Earlier media reports identified several relatives and close associates of the president as potential subjects of the complaints, including First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi, some of his brothers and two of his children.
However, Belgian authorities have not publicly confirmed the identities of the individuals targeted in Wednesday’s searches.
Some media reports also linked the operation to a villa in the Brussels municipality of Uccle that has been associated with the presidential couple. The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has not publicly confirmed whether that specific property was searched.
Reports circulating on social media about the seizure of luxury cars, watches and jewellery have also not been officially verified.
The investigation remains ongoing, and no formal charges have been announced. The allegations have not been established in court.
There was no immediate public response from Congolese officials.
