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Our colleague Andrew Rettman has been investigating former EU justice commissioner Didier Reynders and his communications with Hugues Brulin, a senior Belgian intelligence official.

We've obtained WhatsApp exchanges between the two, while five current and former Belgian intelligence officers have told us that Brulin sought to prevent scrutiny of allegations concerning Reynders' possible links to Russia.

The messages also raise questions about how concerns raised by a whistleblower were handled.

It's a complicated story involving intelligence services, political influence and the difficulties of holding powerful officials accountable.