New details about the allegations against the rapper Gims have emerged after French authorities charged the Congolese music star with money laundering linked to millions of euros in suspicious transactions and accused him of being tied to an organized crime group, Le Monde reported Thursday. 

The artist, whose real name is Gandhi Djuna, was initially arrested on March 25 at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, questioned by France’s National Anti-Fraud Office, and later released under judicial supervision. Investigators now believe Gims was one beneficiary of a sprawling network allegedly headed by French-Moroccan businessman Lahoucine A.S. and accused of laundering more than €1 billion between 2014 and 2025, Le Monde said. 

The network is suspected of using fake invoices and shell companies to channel transfers from more than 2,000 companies in exchange for cash originating from illicit trafficking and undeclared economic activity, according to the report. 

Investigators identified about €8 million in suspicious transfers involving companies tied to Gims and entities controlled by the alleged laundering network. A spreadsheet titled “GIMS,” found on a USB drive during a search of a suspected network accountant’s computer, tracked debits and credits between companies linked to the artist and laundering entities between March 2022 and July 2024, Le Monde said. 

French authorities ultimately concluded that Gims and his associates had paid about €6 million to shell companies and were compensated in cash, according to Le Monde. 

Customs investigators described what they called a “Gims ecosystem” built around the rap star’s extensive cash use, with funds allegedly used for personal purchases, gifts to relatives, and expenses tied to the artist’s professional activities, the newspaper said.  

In one voice message left Gims, the rap star’s manager warned his client against moving €600,000 through various companies, including an auto repair shop, a fiber-optic business, and a computer hardware company, because the money flows could attract attention, the news outlet reported.

Read more at Le Monde