Belgian police on Friday searched the home of a vice-president of the European Parliament, Greek Socialist Eva Kaili, who was also questioned, in connection with an alleged bribery scheme by Qatar to people who could influence decision-making in the European institution.
The Federal Prosecutor’s Office has reported the arrest of four people and up to 16 searches carried out in several districts of Brussels as part of an investigation into an «alleged criminal organization of corruption and money laundering» that for months sought on behalf of a Gulf country to influence the «economic and political» decisions of the European Parliament.
«To this end, they paid sums of money and offered significant gifts to third parties with a significant political and/or strategic position within the European Parliament,» the Prosecutor’s Office explained in a statement confirming the four arrests without clarifying the identity of those under investigation.
However, sources of the investigation quoted by the newspapers Le Soir and Knack have revealed that among those arrested is a former Socialist MEP, the Italian Pier-Antonio Panzeri, several parliamentary assistants or the general secretary of the European Confederation of Trade Unions, Luca Visentini. These media also identify Qatar as the country under investigation in the framework of this operation against corruption.
During the searches, the authorities have seized some 600,000 euros in cash and computer equipment and cell phones for analysis by investigators.
The European Parliament has opted for prudence and has not wanted to comment on a matter that is under investigation because, the sources have indicated, the institution does not comment on judicial processes in progress, neither in this nor in any other case.
So far, the names that have transcended are linked to staff of the Socialists and Democrats in the EP (S&D), including the vice president of the institution Eva Kaili, whose home has been searched.
In a message on Twitter from the EU ambassador to Qatar, Cristian Tudor, to whose account access has been restricted after the corruption scheme was revealed, an image posted earlier this month of Kaili meeting with Qatari minister Ali bin Samij Al Marri could be seen along with a message of EU recognition «of Qatar’s commitment to continue labor reforms after the World Cup.»
The S&D group has issued a statement to defend its «zero tolerance» for corruption and to assure that they are «appalled» by the reports published in the Belgian press, while calling for the suspension of votes and other work of the European Parliament related to the Gulf countries.
«Given the seriousness of the suspicions, and until the competent authorities provide relevant information and clarifications, we request the suspension of work on any files and plenary votes regarding the Gulf States, in particular visa liberalization and planned visits,» said the statement released by the European Social Democrats.
