BRUSSELS — A European Parliament
vice president,
Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, was charged with corruption and
remanded in custody on Sunday after Belgian investigators found “bags of cash”
in her home.
اضافة اعلان
Belgian police are investigating allegations that figures working
on behalf of Qatar, the
Gulf monarchy and World Cup host, have paid European
politicians huge bribes to influence the Brussels policy debate.
Kaili, who has spoken publicly in support of Qatar’s recent labor
reforms, was one of four suspects to have been charged and detained.
Two more have been released and the house of at least one more MEP
has been searched by investigators.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office did not identify the four
by name, but a judicial source confirmed to AFP that Kaili was among those
charged.
“Four individuals have been arrested by the Brussels investigating
judge who is leading the investigation,” the federal prosecutor’s office said
in a statement.
“They are charged with participation in a criminal organization,
money laundering, and corruption. Two persons have been released by the
investigating judge.”
The arrests followed raids in Brussels which prosecutors said
turned up 600,000 euros ($630,000) in cash. Police also seized computers and
mobile phones.
‘Bags
of cash’
The second search of an
MEP’s house is understood to have involved a Belgian member, since the
president of the parliament, Roberta Metsola, was invited to witness the raid.
The judicial source identified him as Marc Tarabella, a Belgian
socialist and vice-chair of the parliamentary delegation “for relations with
the Arab peninsula”. He has not been charged.
Under the Belgian constitution the president of the
European Parliament must attend if one of the country’s MEPs is targeted by a search,
Metsola’s office confirmed.
“We can confirm that EP President Metsola has returned from Malta
to Brussels on Saturday evening to be present at a house search of a Member of
European Parliament,” the spokesman said.
“The European Parliament and President Metsola stand firmly
against corruption, are actively and fully cooperating with law enforcement and
judicial authorities to assist the course of justice.”
Kaili has been stripped of her responsibilities as a vice
president of the parliament, notably that of representing Metsola in the Middle
East, but she is still an MEP and would normally enjoy immunity from criminal
prosecution.
But there is an exception in cases where a suspect is caught
red-handed in the act of committing an alleged crime and, according to the judicial
source, Belgian police detained Kaili in possession of “bags of cash” and thus
she was brought before the judge.
Among the six arrested on Friday, after at least 16 police raids
of premises in Brussels, were the former MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri and his
fellow Italian Luca Visentini, the general secretary of the International Trade
Union Confederation.
According
to
Belgian news reports, Kaili’s father is also implicated, caught transporting
cash “in a suitcase”.
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