Greek Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili and three other people were charged and imprisoned on Sunday December 11 in Belgium in an investigation into suspicions of corruption in connection with Qatar within this institution of the European Union (EU) , a judicial source told Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Four people were imprisoned after being charged by a Brussels investigating judge for “belonging to a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption”, confirmed the federal prosecutor’s office in a press release, without however revealing the identity of the persons implicated. Two other people were released by the judge.
According to information from WorldPier Antonio Panzeri, 67, former Italian MEP from the Social Democrats group and president of the NGO Fight Impunity, as well as Francesco Giorgi, a former parliamentary assistant and companion of Mme Kaili, are among those charged. Also indicted, Luca Visentini, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), was conditionally released.
In that case “is suspected the payment of large sums of money or the offering of significant gifts to third parties having a political and/or strategic position making it possible, within the European Parliament, to influence decisions” of this institution, underlines the press release from the prosecution.
No parliamentary immunity
A search took place on Saturday evening at the home of a second Socialist MEP, the Belgian Marc Tarabella. To assist the federal police in this second search, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, returned from Malta to Brussels in the evening, announced one of her spokespersons. The presence of the President is required for such an act of investigation targeting a MEP elected in Belgium “as required by the Belgian Constitution”we explained.
The Brussels home of Mme Kaili had been searched on Friday evening. The Vice-President of the European Parliament could not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because the offense of which she is accused was established ” in the act “ Friday, an anonymous judicial source told AFP. This source confirms press reports that Mme Kaili was in possession of “bags of tickets” Friday evening when the Belgian police arrested her.
On Saturday evening, Parliament announced that Eva Kaili had been temporarily withdrawn from the tasks delegated to her by the President, Roberta Metsola, such as that of representing her in the Middle East. Left-wing MEPs, including ecologist Philippe Lamberts on behalf of the Greens group in the European Parliament, have called for Ms.me Kaili, excluded on Friday evening from the Greek Socialist Party.
Meeting of group presidents in Strasbourg
Eva Kaili went to Qatar in early November where she welcomed the reforms of the emirate in this sector in the presence of the Qatari Minister of Labor. The EU ambassador to Doha, Cristian Tudor, then provided publicity on Twitter for this meeting, which was deemed positive. “Qatar is a leader in labor rights”also said Mr.me Kaili on November 22 at the podium of the European Parliament.
These remarks, which had then caused a stir in the ranks of the left and the liberals, came back to the minds of many MEPs this weekend after the announcement of his arrest. “I am afraid now to understand…”Frenchman Pierre Karleskind (Renew, liberals) commented on Twitter on Saturday.
The President of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, convened in Strasbourg, Monday, December 12, a meeting of the presidents of groups to discuss the Belgian judicial investigation, two sources in the Parliament told AFP on Sunday.
The alleged corruption case for the benefit of Qatar involving representatives of the European Parliament constitutes “serious damage to reputation” of this institution and “a shameful and intolerable affair”said Sunday the European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, during a program on Rai, the Italian media group.