According to reporting by ANB Sat, the court ruling sentenced Sati to 18 months in prison. Six months of the sentence are to be served immediately, while the remaining term was suspended under the condition of a five-year probation period. The court also imposed a fine of 4,000 euros.
The case was part of a large criminal investigation involving more than one hundred defendants accused of participating in organized criminal activities. Court documents state that authorities confiscated more than 171,000 euros from Sati, which the court determined to be proceeds linked to illegal activities. In addition, computers and technical equipment allegedly used in connection with the offenses were seized.
The court also ordered Sati to contribute to Belgium’s fund for victims of violence and to cover a portion of the legal costs associated with the case.
Sati, a monk of the Salvatorian Order, previously served for several years in Belgium before later moving to Egypt, where he worked within the Chaldean Church’s eparchy in Cairo. Reports indicate that church authorities had been aware since 2019 of a financial case involving Sati and several individuals from his former parish community in Belgium. Investigations into the broader network have lasted several years.
The case is one of the largest organized crime proceedings in Belgium in recent years, involving numerous defendants linked to drug trafficking and other financial crimes.
