On June 8, 2026, the 69th chamber of the Brussels Criminal Court approved a criminal settlement of €175,215,571 involving a major Moroccan banking group. The settlement, homologated by Federal Magistrate Laurent Pierard, is one of the largest ever in Belgium for financial crimes.
According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office, the case concerns allegations of tax fraud and money laundering linked to undeclared accounts held by Belgian residents at the bank's branches in Morocco. The investigation, which began in 2019, revealed that the bank failed to report accounts to Belgian tax authorities, enabling clients to evade taxes.
The bank admitted to the facts and cooperated with investigators, leading to the negotiated penalty. The settlement includes the payment of back taxes, fines, and confiscation of illicit gains. The bank also committed to implementing stricter compliance measures to prevent future violations.
This case highlights ongoing efforts by Belgian authorities to crack down on cross-border tax evasion. The Moroccan bank, which operates in several European countries, has not been named in official statements but is widely reported to be Attijariwafa Bank.
