Belgian firm linked to alleged DRC passports graft

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 passports in the DRC, civil parties involved in the case said. A spokesperson for the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office confirmed ‌that Semlex and an unspecified number of ‌employees were among those referred by the prosecutor to the criminal court, reports US News. The civil parties, including 51 Congolese citizens ⁠and anti-corruption groups ⁠who filed a suit in 2020 to join an ongoing criminal investigation, said the ​decision by Brussels' Council Chamber would lead to the first trial of a Belgian company over alleged bribery of foreign public officials. Reuters could not immediately confirm the trial would be the first. The allegations have not been proven in court. Reuters reported in 2017 that millions of dollars from ​the production of Congo's biometric passports were being channelled offshore, including to a company linked to a relative of then-President Joseph ⁠Kabila. ⁠Authorities have not conclusively linked ⁠the company to the President's ​relative. The Council Chamber and Semlex did not respond to an emailed request for comment.