In aย press releaseย on February 3 the Brussels prosecutorโs office announced the federal judicial city police had searched several addresses in Walloon Brabant, in Liรจge and Namur. That came โas part of a judicial investigation into large-scale cannabis trafficking between Spain and Belgium by an alleged criminal organisationโ.
โAbout 15 suspects have been arrested in Belgium. Among these suspects are people already convicted of drug-related offences.โ
It added that a Brussels investigating judge would question the suspects on February 3 and 4.
At the time of writing, the prosecutorโs office would not release any more details in the interest of the inquiry.
On February 3, Belgian dailyย La Derniรจre Heureย reported that Ugo Lemaire had that day appeared before the investigating judge who then decided to charge him and place him under arrest.
The prosecutor said the investigation was related to the ongoing probe into corruption in the European Parliament, conducted by the Central Organ for the Suppression of Corruption (OCRC).
In July 2023, Belgian policeย searchedย six locations linked to Arena and her family, almost a year into the Qatargate investigation, where a number of MEPs have been suspected of accepting cash for influence on European lawmaking.
They found just over โฌ280,000 in cash during a raid at the home of Ugo Lemaire. Marie Arena was then Belgian MEP for the Socialist Party.
Arena reportedly opened the door to Lemaireโs flat to let the police conduct the search as he was not home at the time.
Investigators later said they could not establish a link between the cash discovered and suspected corruption in the European Parliament.
The Brussels Federal Judicial Policeโs drug unit (DR9) has taken over the case, conducting an investigation separate from Qatargate.
Lemaire was the co-founder of BRC&Co, a company specialising in the sale of CBD, legal cannabis with its psychotropic substance removed. The firmโs headquarters were also searched by police.
He is the eldest son of Michel Claise, the main investigator of Qatargate at the time. Claise stepped down in June 2023 from the ongoing inquiry amid allegations of a conflict of interest.
The latest Belgian police action was reportedly triggered by the many trips Lemaire had made to Spain.
During the police raids, as well as cash, computer equipment, cars and GPS beacons were also discovered.
Two of the cars were registered in Spain andย alreadyย under investigation for drug trafficking, dailyย SudInfoย reported.
Ugo Lemaireโs lawyer, Denis Bosquet, refused to comment on February 3 to questions byย La Derniรจre Heure.
Arena has always claimed innocence regarding Qatargate and has insisted she had no involvement with her sonโs business.
Brussels Signalย reported on January 20 that Arena had recently been interviewed in regards to Qatargate.
She told Belgian media: โThis does not concern me and I therefore have no answer to provide. What I can tell you is that my fingerprints were taken during my interview with the police. The objective was probably to see if they appeared anywhere. This is clearly not the case.โ