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Radja Nainggolan received a driving ban and a €400 fine from the Antwerp police court after a police inspector caught him using a mobile phone while riding an electric scooter near the city’s pedestrian tunnel, Voetbalkrant.com reported. The former Belgium international, 38, faced scrutiny over whether the incident violated an existing driving prohibition, leading to distinct legal arguments regarding scooter regulations in Belgium.
Antwerp Police Intercept the Former Midfielder on a Scooter
The incident occurred on October 19, 2025, in the center of Antwerp. According to case details reported by VoetbalPrimeur.be, a police inspector first warned the midfielder for handling his mobile device while operating an electric scooter near the pedestrian tunnel. Shortly after the initial warning, officers spotted him using the phone a second time.
Prosecutors maintained that the player appeared to be watching video clips during the journey. Omar Souidi, legal counsel for Nainggolan, disputed that characterization in court. Souidi stated that his client used the device strictly as a GPS navigation tool. While acknowledging that operating a phone for navigation remains illegal while driving, the defense argued that it differs fundamentally from viewing media files.
Legal Arguments Over the Electric Scooter Ban
Because Nainggolan was already subject to an active driving ban when the incident took place, prosecutors questioned whether he was legally permitted to pilot an electric scooter. Under previous legal interpretations, a standard driving disqualification automatically extended to personal mobility devices like electric scooters.
The defense countered that Nainggolan chose the scooter specifically because he knew he was barred from driving an automobile, operating under the assumption that alternative transport fell outside the automotive restrictions. Souidi noted that many citizens shared this misunderstanding of transport laws at the time. The court ultimately acquitted the former footballer on the count of driving during a ban, citing a legislative update effective July 1, 2026, which dictates that a general driving prohibition no longer automatically applies to electric scooters unless explicitly ordered by a judge.
Despite the acquittal on that specific charge, the court upheld the penalty for illegal phone usage. The base fine of €50 increased via statutory multipliers to €400. Furthermore, the judge imposed a 15-day driving ban explicitly covering electric scooters.
A Troubled Traffic Record in Belgian Courts
The Antwerp ruling adds to a lengthy history of traffic violations for the veteran midfielder. Court archives show that Nainggolan has accumulated five previous convictions and seven immediate settlement fines for handling mobile phones behind the wheel.
In 2021, authorities handed him a six-month driving ban after he clocked 106 kilometers per hour on Antwerp’s Nationalestraat while driving under the influence. He failed to complete mandatory recovery examinations afterward, preventing the reinstatement of his driver’s license. Another nine-month driving prohibition followed in March 2023.
Pending court dates complicate his legal status further. Authorities scheduled another traffic case for February 2027. Additionally, prosecutors implicated him in a separate June 2026 incident involving running a red light, driving without a license, and nearly striking an unmarked police vehicle—an occurrence Nainggolan attributed to rushing his unwell daughter to the hospital.
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