KINSHASA/BRUSSELS — The Brussels Correctional Chamber has ordered that 14 individuals accused in the Semlex case stand trial for alleged international corruption of foreign public officials, money laundering, and tax fraud. This decision marks a historic precedent, as Semlex, the Belgian firm responsible for manufacturing biometric passports for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between 2015 and 2025, is now the first company to face criminal proceedings in Belgium for such offenses.
The referral to trial follows a nearly nine-year investigation by Belgian authorities, described by civil parties as one of the most exhaustive probes ever conducted into international corruption. Investigators analyzed hundreds of emails and messages, interviewed numerous witnesses and suspects, and executed judicial commissions rogatoires in the DRC and the United Arab Emirates, where several implicated companies were registered.
According to documents cited in media reports, the alleged scheme involved diverting funds from the sale of biometric passports. Each passport was sold for $185 USD, with an estimated $60 per unit allegedly transferred to LRPS Ltd., a Dubai-based entity linked to associates of former DRC President Joseph Kabila. Civil parties estimate this mechanism generated approximately $60 million in suspected embezzlement.
Fifty-one Congolese nationals initially joined the legal action in May 2020, supported by a coalition including the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the League of Human Rights (LDH), UNIS, Transparency International, and Transparency International Belgium. These organizations have constituted themselves as civil parties, seeking accountability for what they describe as a large-scale corruption system surrounding the passport contract.
Fred Bauma, a Congolese citizen who joined the civil party, emphasized the right of citizens to know how their money was used. “We paid $185 for our passports before learning through the press that part of that money was allegedly used to bribe members of the political elite,” Bauma stated. He added that the trial should shed light on the matter and potentially trigger complementary judicial processes within the DRC to hold all responsible parties accountable.
Jean-Claude Katende, Vice President of FIDH and President of the African Association for the Defense of Human Rights (ASADHO), noted that the case could expose responsibilities at the Congolese level, leading to further legal actions in Kinshasa. The civil parties argue that the trial tests Belgium’s capacity to fulfill its commitments under the OECD Convention against Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and the UN Convention against Corruption.
Transparency International Belgium highlighted that Belgium has faced criticism for the limited effectiveness of its repression of foreign public official corruption. The organization stated that while the accused enjoy the presumption of innocence, the referral to trial demonstrates that Belgian companies can finally be held accountable for serious alleged crimes committed abroad. The civil parties urge that the judgment send a clear message regarding corporate responsibility.
This report was produced by the HuMedia newsroom.
