The Belgian police crackdown on Friday has quickly developed into one of the most spectacular scandals in modern EU history. The Greek member of the EU Parliament Eva Kaili – also one of the parliament’s 14 deputy speakers – has been arrested and interrogated, suspected of involvement in a bribery scandal with links to Qatar. Two of Kaili’s relatives have also been arrested, as well as a former Italian member of the EU parliament.
One of those arrested was reportedly caught with a suitcase full of money in 20 and 50 euro notes. According to Belgian prosecutors, there must have been “several hundred thousand euros” – the equivalent of millions of Swedish kronor – in the bag. At the home of another of those arrested, approximately six million in cash has been found. In addition, another approximately SEK 1.5 million in cash was found at Kaili’s home.
– This is something that you normally only come across in crackdowns on drug dealers, says a source close to the investigation to the newspaper Le Soir.
“Offered Gifts”
All are formally charged with “participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption,” according to a release from Belgium’s federal prosecutors. An initial court hearing awaits them as early as Wednesday. Further crackdowns were made on Monday.
“It is suspected that parties in political and/or strategic positions within the EU Parliament have been paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts in order to influence the Parliament’s decisions,” the prosecutors say.
Reform process
The scandal is of course on everyone’s lips at this week’s EU Parliament session in Strasbourg. Speaker Roberta Metsola is far from happy and promises to help the investigators fully.
– We will start a reform process to see who has access to our premises. We are going to shake up this parliament and this city and I need your help to do it. We’d rather freeze than sell ourselves, says Metsola in a special debate – referring to the large gas purchases that the EU would like to make from Qatar.