Two years in prison and a €105,000 fine. This is what the Brussels prosecutor's office has requested for Radja Nainggolan, the former Cagliari midfielder now playing for Patro Eisden in the Belgian second division, accused of money laundering. The case stems from the Ninja 's arrest in January 2025 , regarding an international drug trafficking investigation in Antwerp, a matter in which he has always maintained his innocence.
According to the prosecution, the midfielder allegedly laundered over €100,000 received from Nasr-Eddine Sekkaki, his friend and the younger brother of notorious criminal Ashraf Sekkaki . "Nainggolan received €105,000 in cash from Sekkaki, who asked for the money to be transferred to his mother's account," the prosecutor stated. The former Rossoblu player stated that he borrowed the money from Sekkaki because his accounts were frozen following his divorce from his ex-wife and he wanted to maintain his lifestyle .
The Brussels prosecutor's office has ruled out Nainggolan's involvement in international drug trafficking or a criminal organization, but believes he should be convicted of money laundering. The player's defense has stated that it will seek an acquittal and present its arguments on November 13th . "We have already demonstrated that there was no truth to the previous charges; only money laundering remains, but even that is unfounded," said his lawyer, Mounir Souidi. The former Cagliari player was not present at today's hearing; according to Belgian media, he could appear in court in November.