Former Beliris presidents Didier Reynders and Laurette Onkelinx appeared on Tuesday afternoon before the Brussels Parliament’s special Metro 3 commission, which is investigating the management of the North-South metro project following a critical audit by the Court of Audit.
The commission is hearing from a range of witnesses about the timeline and development of the metro project. Reynders’ appearance marks his first public activity since leaving the European Commission in 2024. It comes amid an ongoing judicial investigation into allegations of money laundering involving him, with a related search and judicial hearing already conducted.
The session began with significant media presence, including television crews and print journalists. In a light-hearted moment, Laurette Onkelinx joked to Reynders, “You always have to steal the spotlight from me,” as photographers focused their attention on him.
Reynders was formally charged in November with money laundering and potentially other undisclosed offences after being questioned by an investigating judge in October. The allegations stem from reported cash deposits and sizeable purchases of gambling items.
Onkelinx served as president of Beliris from 1999 to 2014, after which Reynders held the position until 2019. Beliris is the principal entity overseeing the construction of the metro connection between Gare du Nord and Bordet via Schaerbeek, a central component of the North-South metro project in Brussels.
