Greek MEP and Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili, heard since Friday in a Belgian justice investigation into suspicions of corruption in connection with Qatar, was temporarily withdrawn, on Saturday December 10, from the tasks that she had delegated the president Roberta Metsola.
“In the light of the ongoing judicial investigations carried out by the Belgian authorities, President Metsola has decided to suspend with immediate effect all the powers, duties and tasks which have been delegated to Eva Kaili in her capacity as Vice-President of the European Parliament”announced in the evening a spokesman for Mme Metsola.
“This is not an isolated incident”reacted the organization Transparency International. “For several decades, Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop (…) and a total absence of independent ethical control. »
Five people, including Eva Kaili, were arrested in Brussels on Friday, following at least 16 searches in an investigation into suspicions of money payments “consequent” by a Gulf country to influence the decisions of MEPs. The federal prosecutor’s office did not name the country, but a judicial source familiar with the matter confirmed to Agence France-Presse (AFP) that it was Qatar.
Qatar denies
“Any allegation of misconduct by the State of Qatar shows serious misinformation”reacted on Saturday a Qatari government official asked by AFP.
The affair broke out in the middle of the football World Cup, while the organizing country had to make efforts to defend its reputation, decried in terms of respect for human rights, in particular those of workers.
On Saturday, the hearings of five suspects continued in Brussels, according to a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office.
A possible placement in pre-trial detention by the investigating judge must be decided within 48 hours after the arrest, ie Sunday at the latest.