Belgian court orders Semlex trial over DR Congo passport contract

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 for the Democratic Republic of Congo.

A spokesperson for the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office confirmed that Semlex and an unspecified number of its employees were among those referred to the criminal court but declined to provide further details.

The civil parties in the case, including 51 Congolese citizens and anti-corruption organizations, said the decision could pave the way for the first trial in Belgium involving a Belgian company accused of bribing foreign public officials. 

The allegations have not been proven in court.

A Reuters investigation published in 2017 reported that millions of dollars generated from the passport program were being channelled offshore, including to a company linked to a relative of then-President Joseph Kabila. Authorities have not conclusively established a connection between that company and Kabila.

Semlex did not respond to an emailed request for comment. Francois Koning, a lawyer who has previously represented Semlex, declined to comment. Semlex said in a 2017 statement that it was the target of a smear campaign.

A person close to Kabila said the former president also had no comment as he was not directly associated with the case.

Reuters could not determine when a trial might take place.