As of: 01/17/2023 7:23 p.m
In the corruption scandal involving the European Parliament, the public prosecutor’s office reports a success: One of the main suspects wants to talk – in return, Panzeri’s sentence could be lighter. He should also give the names of other people involved.
In the EU corruption scandal, the suspected mastermind Pier Antonio Panzeri has promised comprehensive cooperation with the Belgian judiciary. As the responsible public prosecutor’s office in Brussels announced, the former MEP signed a cooperation agreement.
Panzeri should “give comprehensive insights”
According to information from the public prosecutor’s office, Panzeri is committed to providing the investigators with comprehensive insights into the criminal structures. According to the information, this includes the names of those who were bribed, as well as the promised benefits and financial arrangements with other countries.
Shorter prison sentence possible for Panzeri
In return, if convicted, Panzeri will probably only have to spend a short time in prison and pay a fine. All of his acquired assets, currently estimated at one million euros, are to be confiscated.
The public prosecutor had previously announced that Panzeri had withdrawn his appeal against the pre-trial detention imposed in December.
Law used for mafia investigations
According to the public prosecutor’s office, the so-called Pentiti Law was applied to Panzeri. The name refers to the Italian law on leniency in mafia investigations. A confessor undertakes to provide “substantial, informative, truthful and complete information” about the involvement of third parties and his own involvement.
Panzeri is considered a key figure
The Italian Panzeri is considered a key figure in the scandal that Belgian investigators uncovered in December. It is about alleged influence from Qatar and Morocco on political decisions of the European Parliament.
Panzeri sat for the Social Democrats in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019. Most recently, he headed the non-governmental organization Fight Impunity, which is also the focus of Belgian investigators.
Kaili hearing on Thursday
Panzeri is one of several suspects who are in custody. Among those arrested are the former Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, and her partner, who worked as an MEP’s assistant. Kaili is scheduled to be heard again by the magistrate this Thursday.