“Katargate”: A case that is becoming increasingly complicated

Corruption in the European Parliament: When the then Vice President Kaili was arrested a year ago, the shock was not only great among MPs. A year later, many questions still remain unanswered.

It’s about a lot of cash and about countries that wanted to influence EU politics: Morocco and Qatar. Rich Qatar in particular is said to have paid MEPs to get a better image in the EU

The goal: Qatar wanted to present itself as a humane country when the World Cup was scheduled to take place at the end of 2022. But then in December last year, right in the middle of the tournament, news broke of raids and arrests in Belgium and Italy.

It’s “a comprehensive investigation,” said the spokesman for the Belgian public prosecutor’s office a year ago. “There are facts such as corruption, money laundering, criminal organizations at the European level.”

From parliament to prison

The shock in political Brussels, but also in the EU member states, was deep. How far would the case go? Some feared that many more countries had tried to influence European politics with a lot of money. Today, a year after the investigation began, the case is becoming increasingly complicated.

For months, several current and former European parliamentarians were imprisoned in the St. Gilles district of Brussels, including Eva Kaili. The former Vice President of the European Parliament had visited Qatar several times – including at the host’s expense.

And she spoke kindly about the country in the European Parliament: Qatar is a pioneer in labor rights and has even introduced a minimum wage. She also took part in a vote in a committee on visa facilitation, although she was not a member of the committee.

Lots of suspects

Kaili was considered part of a network that was said to have been established by the “Fight Against Impunity” association.

Its boss was the former MEP Antonio Panzeri. His colleague Francesco Georgi was in turn Kaili’s partner. Other suspects include MPs Marc Tarabella, Antonio Cozzolino and Maria Arena, who is said to be close to Panzeri.

The investigating judge in this case was Michel Claise, known in Belgium as a tough investigator. Corruption must be fought consistently, he says ARD European magazine in March. Kaili spent four months in prison, separated from her two-year-old daughter.

Serious allegations from the investigators

Kaili’s lawyer spoke of torture: she was in a cold cell for days without fresh laundry or appropriate clothing. The other suspects were also put under massive pressure.

The allegations against her were massive: Kaili’s father was caught with hundreds of thousands of euros in a hotel, according to the public prosecutor’s office. Another 150,000 euros and gifts were in her apartment.

It’s money from her husband, repaid debts, says Kaili ARD – she has nothing to do with it. Her husband has already confessed. Kaili protests her innocence. But some events in the case are becoming increasingly doubtful.

The arguments of the defenders

In any case, it is difficult to understand from the investigators’ documents which evidence is actually available against whom. For Christophe Merchand, one of Kaili’s lawyers, the matter is clear: “The conclusion is that the accusation of corruption against Eva Kaili is unfounded. There is nothing that would prove that she is or was corrupt. It was a process , which was carried out to make it a big scandal, a spectacular trial.”

“I am amused by the case, it is better than any Netflix series,” Cleys told the ARD studio Brussels in March. However, he contributed to this in a certain way: his son did business with one of the suspects, Maria Arena. Money was also found in her environment; she even invited Qatar’s labor minister to parliament.

Unlike Kaili, Claise did not have Arena arrested. Cleys has since had to resign. Sven Mary, Kaili’s second lawyer, believes that her client was deliberately placed in the spotlight: “Eva Kaili became a symbol. She had everything to play the leading role. A woman with power, a young woman, a woman with the perfect family, a beautiful woman and intellectually exceptional. And in that moment she became a trophy.”

Disreputable praise?

But what about Kaili’s praise for Qatar? As Vice President, she was part of official EU delegations. And it is the EU’s official position to improve relations with Qatar on trade, energy and many other levels. She also traveled on behalf of the President of Parliament Roberta Metsola and was responsible for the region.

Kaili’s lawyers also criticize the actions of the Belgian authorities. Because as a European MP, Kaili actually enjoys immunity. “Parliamentarians in all democracies in the world are protected,” says lawyer Marchand. “They cannot be questioned or searched unless immunity is lifted by Parliament. This lifting of immunity has not taken place here. It is a blatant violation of the separation of powers between the executive and parliamentarians.”

Will the procedure fail?

Now Kaili has filed a complaint – and some believe she could be right and the case against her could collapse because of it. And with it also those against the other suspected MPs.

Then what was supposed to be the biggest corruption scandal in the history of Parliament would collapse due to a procedural error. Kaili has been working as a member of the European Parliament again since September.

Many of her colleagues prefer not to comment. FDP MP Moritz Körner is one of the few to comment on the case. “Now it has to be clear who played what role in the scandal,” he says. “The fact that a year later we still have no concrete charges is actually a huge scandal and a failure on the part of the Belgian judicial authorities who investigated this.”

Stricter rules

Parliament itself has now introduced new, tougher transparency rules. Lobby contacts must now be listed in detail. The income of MPs must also be disclosed more clearly. Dealing with “Qatargate” is also a battle for credibility seven months before the European elections.

Kaili is also fighting for her credibility: the amount of money in her apartment, the fact that she doesn’t want to know anything about her partner’s activities – all of this will be difficult to explain if the trial does happen.

You can see these and other reports in the Europamagazin – on Sunday at 12.45 p.m. on Erste.