Seizure of €65 million in McKinsey investigation for tax fraud in Belgium and France
Belgian and French financial prosecutors have seized more than €65 million in the McKinsey investigation for aggravated money laundering of tax fraud.
McKinsey investigation: Brussels seizes €65 million for tax fraud
The Brussels public prosecutor's office proceeded, on 19 August, to seize more than €65 million as part of the international investigation targeting the consulting firm McKinsey, according to RTBF Info. This sum represents, according to a joint statement from the French and Belgian prosecutors, "96 per cent of the tax damage according to the assessment of the French national financial prosecutor".
The matter dates back to March 2022, when a preliminary investigation—the Belgian equivalent of a judicial inquiry—was opened "following the investigation commission on the growing influence of private consulting firms on public policies of the French Senate". The facts targeted concern aggravated money laundering of tax fraud.
Two months after the investigation opened, in May 2022, raids were carried out at the Paris premises of McKinsey & Company Inc. France. Last year and this year, the investigations continued through interviews with witnesses and suspects.
At the end of these proceedings, the French national financial prosecutor requested the assistance of its Brussels counterpart "within the framework of international judicial cooperation", the joint statement specifies.
The two prosecutors emphasise, in conclusion, that this case illustrates the necessity of a "comprehensive judicial strategy" from the earliest stages of detection and freezing of criminal assets. The preliminary investigation is ongoing.
Source: RTBF Info