Radja Nainggolan is facing a major criminal-court case in Belgium after prosecutors asked for two years in prison and a €105,000 fine. The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office says the former Belgium international was involved in a money-laundering file connected to a wider drug-trafficking investigation, but not accused of being part of the trafficking ring itself.

The prosecution case

The Brussels Public Prosecutor's Office demanded two years in prison and a fine of €105,000 for Nainggolan. Prosecutors say he received €105,000 in cash from Nasr-Eddine Sekkaki, who asked for the amount to be returned to his mother's account, and that the payment order described fictitious construction works.

The case is not a one-off. It has 16 defendants in total, with the prosecutor seeking sentences ranging from 12 months to 14 years in prison and fines that can reach €800,000 for alleged ringleaders.

The investigation was opened in March 2023 and targeted a network that imported large quantities of drugs from South America through the port of Antwerp. Authorities then carried out a large-scale operation in January 2025, when several suspects were arrested.

Nainggolan's explanation

Nainggolan has offered his own account of why cash changed hands. He said his Italian accounts were blocked because of his divorce from Claudia, and that he needed cash to maintain his lifestyle. He also said he did not know Sekkaki's reputation or background before his arrest.

"I have no debts, but, due to my divorce from Claudia, my Italian accounts are blocked. I wanted to maintain my lifestyle and so I needed cash, which I borrowed from Sekkaki," Nainggolan told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese.

He added that he thought Sekkaki was "normal and modest" and said he only learned about his background through the media after his arrest. The court case now turns on whether prosecutors can convince the court that the cash trail amounts to laundering, not just a bad explanation for why money changed hands.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →