It was reported that the amount of cash seized in the corruption investigation, in which Greek deputy Eva Kaili, one of the former vice-presidents of the European Parliament (EP), is also accused, is 1.5 million euros.
According to the news based on the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office in the Belgian press, 1.5 million euros in cash were seized during the searches carried out within the scope of the investigation.
MONEY FOUND IN THEIR HOUSES
It was noted that a significant part of the money was found in the apartments of Eva Kaili and Pier-Antonio Panzeri, a former Italian deputy of the S&D group in the AP and a member of the Italian Articulo Uno Party.
Belgium’s Le Soir newspaper, which first reported on the corruption investigation, published photographs of cash in bales taken by the police.
HIS FATHER HAS ALSO BEEN DETENTION
The newspaper also announced that Kaili’s father, Alexandros Kaili, was detained in a hotel in Brussels with a bag full of money. It is stated that Alexandros Kaili was later released.
Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office said that searches were made at 20 points in Belgium and Italy within the framework of a corruption investigation involving a Gulf country, 600,000 euros were found in a suspect’s home, several hundred thousand euros in a bag in a hotel room in Brussels, and 150,000 euros in the apartment of an EP lawmaker. had explained. The names of the prosecutor’s office were not included in the statement.
PRELIMINARY HEARING TOMORROW
The four detainees, together with Kaili, are expected to be brought to a preliminary hearing in the court in Brussels tomorrow on charges of corruption and bribery.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on December 9 that an investigation was launched on suspicion that an unnamed Gulf country had given large sums of cash and offered gifts of high value to strategically located people in the EP in order to influence the EP’s decisions for several months.
Media reports alleged that Eva Kaili and others received bribes from Qatar to influence the EP’s economic and political decisions. Qatar has denied the allegations. (AA)