The former state security agent who accused outgoing federal minister Didier Reynders of corruption and money laundering weeks after he was chosen for a top job EU job has revealed his identity.
In an interview with business daily De Tijd, the agent said his name was Nicolas Ullens de Schooten, and that he had worked as a secret state security agent for nine years.
On 15 September, reports emerged that a former security agent had brought accusations of corruption and money laundering against Reynders, the current minister of foreign affairs.
The accusations came just under a month after Reynders clinched the nomination to become Belgium's EU Commissioner.
Ullens de Schooten said that he chose to take his concerns to federal police in April. He reportedly brought forward information regarding bribes that had "been paid out during public purchases," according to La Libre.
In particular, he brought forward accusations of an affair where Libyan funds were involved.
Ullens de Schooten chose to come forward in the aftermath of Reynders' EU nomination amid fears that his future post would make a federal investigation harder, the Francophone daily reports.
Amid the fallout from the accusations, Reynders had charged his lawyer to gather evidence to deny the accusations made against him.
"I hope that everything will be made clear as quickly as possible," Reynders' legal counsel said, adding that it was "evident" that the person behind the accusations had malicious intent.
Gabriela Galindo
The Brussels Times
