In the file of a case of alleged corruption in the European Parliament, four people were charged and imprisoned this Sunday, December 11, indicates the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office. According to a judicial source, the Greek vice-president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili is part of this group. A search of the home of a second MEP was also carried out, add the Belgian authorities.
Four people were imprisoned after being charged by a Brussels investigating judge for ” membership in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption “, therefore indicated the federal prosecution in a press release, this Sunday, December 11. Two other people were released by the judge.
The federal prosecutor’s office did not provide any names when announcing at midday these placements in pre-trial detention, decided after four charges for ” membership in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption “. According to a judicial source close to the case, speaking on condition of anonymity, Eva Kaili is one of these four people imprisoned.
No immunity
She could not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because the offense of which she is accused was noted ” in the act “, Friday, explained this same source. This source confirmed press reports that Ms. Kaili was in possession of “ ticket bags Friday evening when the Belgian police arrested her. The federal prosecutor’s office also announced that a search had taken place on Saturday evening at the home of a second MEP. Ms. Kaili’s Brussels home was searched on Friday evening.
Among the six suspects arrested on Friday, after at least 16 searches in Brussels, were also the former Italian MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri and the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Luca Visentini, also Italian. According to the Belgian press, Mrs. Kaili’s own father was himself worried in the investigation, caught transporting cash ” in a suitcase “.
“ Meaningful Gifts »
The press release from the prosecution points out that in this 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 allowing, within the European Parliament, to influence the decisions of this institution. All this for the benefit of a Gulf country, identified in the media as Qatar.
Saturday evening, the President of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, had decided on a first sanction against Eva Kaili. The Greek Vice-President had been stripped of all the tasks delegated by Ms. Metsola, including that of representing her in the Middle East region. Left-wing MEPs, including the ecologist Philippe Lamberts on behalf of the Greens group in the European Parliament, demanded the resignation of Ms. Kaili, excluded from the Greek Socialist Party (Pasok-Kinal) on Friday evening.
In Brussels, the investigation is progressing, a new search took place at the home of another MEP. This is, according to the newspapers The evening and knock, of the elected Belgian socialist Marc Tarabella. However, he was not arrested. This case broke out in the middle of the Football World Cup, while the organizing country, qatarmust make efforts to defend its decried reputation for respecting human rights, especially those of workers.
It also comes on the eve of a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where the relationship between the EU and Qatar should inevitably resurface in the debates.
(With AFP)
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