EU politician
Kaili makes partial confession in corruption scandal
Former Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili is currently in custody in Belgium. photo
© Eric Vidal/European Parliament/dpa
So far, Eva Kaili has maintained her innocence in the EU corruption scandal. According to media reports, she has now admitted at least some allegations. Among other things, it is about a suitcase full of money.
According to media reports, the arrested former Vice President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, made a partial confession in the EU corruption scandal. As the daily newspapers “Le Soir” and “La Repubblica” report, citing investigation documents, the 44-year-old Greek woman admitted, among other things, that she had instructed her father to hide large amounts of cash before she was arrested.
In addition, the coroner is quoted from the documents: “She (Kaili) states that she knew in the past about her husband’s activities with Mr. Panzeri and that suitcases with money were smuggled through her apartment.”
The Belgian judiciary has been investigating suspected corruption, money laundering and influence from abroad for months in the vicinity of the European Parliament. It is said that the Gulf Emirate of Qatar is said to have tried to influence political decisions with gifts of money and goods. According to reports, Morocco tried to do the same.
Kaili currently in custody
Belgian investigators have arrested several people in the case since December 9. Kaili is currently in custody in Belgium. The same applies to former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri and her partner, whom the coroner reportedly referred to as Kaili’s husband. According to media reports, Kaili’s partner has already made a confession.
The Italian, who was previously an assistant in the office of an Italian MEP, admitted that he was part of an organization through which Qatar and Morocco wanted to interfere in European affairs. He also accused Panzeri of being the head of the alleged organization. The Italian judiciary approved the extradition of Panzeri’s wife to Belgium on Monday. According to the Ansa news agency, the defenders of the 67-year-old want to appeal the decision. On December 9, investigators found 600,000 euros in cash in Panzeri’s apartment.
The court in Brescia adjourned the decision on the extradition of Panzeri’s daughter to January 3. Her lawyers had demanded that the prison conditions in Belgium be examined first. The Belgian judiciary accuses the daughter of knowing about her father’s alleged machinations. According to media reports, she did not comment on this herself during the hearing.
Kaili is said to have tried to warn others
Kaili herself, who was dismissed as Vice President by the European Parliament after the allegations became known, had previously protested her innocence through her lawyer. Her father was arrested by investigators on December 9 while trying to hide a suitcase full of cash in a Brussels hotel. Kaili had previously warned him about the large-scale operation of the Belgian investigators in the case, write “Le Soir” and “La Repubblica”. She also tried to warn two MEPs.
When asked by Le Soir and La Repubblica, her lawyer André Risopoulos said he was personally outraged that the newspapers had access to the documents. He did not confirm that the testimony was a partial confession.
The Belgian judiciary wants to decide this Thursday whether Kaili should remain in prison. An appointment last week for the detention review had been postponed at short notice.