“I had a tax problem”
whom Sights Lucien D’Onofrio, who appeared on Wednesday, is under investigation. The former strong player of “Standard” is suspected of laundering about 10 million euros. He also gave surprise loans to personalities. Like Brussels liberal Alain Courtois. Explanations.
Buying expensive watches, luxury cars, Van Gogh… where did 9.5 million go? Lucien D’Onofrio is precisely suspected of money laundering €9,532,101 Abroad for five years, detailed in a rare document Sights and RTBF were able to consult.
As a result of our research, it became clear that a court investigation has been started. The justice of Liege is interested in the origin of this amount, in particular the 4.5 million paid to the personal account of the former leader of Standard from Switzerland and Portugal. Financial Information Processing Unit (CTIF; independent entity fight against money laundering) believes that “there are serious signs of money laundering organized crime“.
These 4.5 million euros were invested in luxury facilities, therefore, as well various Liège companies: Les Ardentes festival (€250,000), security company Protection Unit (€350,000), Mithra (€1.4 million)…
More surprising: strange loans to a a very special category of individuals: “PEP”. “PEPs are politically exposed persons, that is, influential political figures or relatives of these political figures. It could be a brother, a friend…,” says Eric Vernier, Ph.D. in management and anti-money laundering expert. “Banks should implement enhanced due diligence procedures for PEPs, meaning they should take a closer look at these people’s accounts and transactions.” Indeed, the risk of corruption or financial crime is higher among those with access to political power.
CTIF’s report identifies three people who were politically exposed when the loans were made. it’sAlain Courtoisthen the first liberal alderman in Brussels and member of the Brussels-Capital Region parliament,Yves BacquelainMR Daniel Bacquelaine, minister of pensions, and Gaetano LanaAnsois entrepreneur and confidant of Stéphane Moreau, then PS mayor of Ans and boss of Nethys.
In the summer of 2015, the Podium company lent 70,000 euros to Alain Courtois. private loan I liberally approve of the contract with Mr. D’Onofrio. I had it tax problem, helped me. Come on. There aren’t many people I could ask for such an amount. Alain Courtois has yet to pay Lucien D’Onofrio in full. In August 2022, seven years after the loan was granted, he still owed her €21,000, mostly in interest. Because Lucien D’Onofrio does not lose north: the credit rate will 7% per annum!
Yves Bacquelaine, he received 80,000 euros from Podium in 2018. credit to pay taxes, and he returned it in full. He refused to show us proof of payment. His brother Daniel says “very sharply” that he was completely unaware of this debt from D’Onofrio to his brother Yves.
Even more surprising is this loan of 300,000 euros granted by Podium in 2015 to Gaetano Lana, an Ansois entrepreneur close to Stéphane Moreau. In 2007, Lana and Moreau joined forces to create the limited company GLM Invest. In 2010, together with Brussels businessman Dominique Janne, there was a project to invest in real estate in Cyprus. CTIF found no trace of repayment of this loan by Gaetano Lana in 2016, 2017 and 2018. “It’s possible to lend and be paid back after five or six years, but that’s pretty rare, especially among individuals,” Eric marvels. Vernier. Gaetano contacted Lana by phone hung up the phone from the mere mention of this credit. Stephane Moreau did not return our calls.
