The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee unanimously approved on Tuesday to waive the parliamentary immunity of Socialist MEPs Andrea Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella so that they can be tried by Belgian authorities for their alleged involvement in the bribery scheme paid by Qatar and Morocco to gain influence in EU institutions.
The vote was held after a closed-door discussion on the two respective reports concerning the lifting of the immunities of the Italian Cozzolino and the Belgian Tarabella, but still needs to be ratified by the plenary of the European Parliament to be effective.
Following the adoption by 23 votes in favor of the suspension of their parliamentary protection – with zero against and zero abstentions – the two decisions will be included in the plenary session of the European Parliament to be held this Wednesday and Thursday in Brussels.
With this procedure, the MEPs respond to the request of the Belgian Justice to suspend the immunities of these two MEPs from the group of European Socialists and Democrats (S&D) to be investigated in the case opened by the alleged payment of bribes by Qatar and Morocco to MEPs and parliamentary staff to influence «politically and economically» in the European Parliament.
In the framework of this investigation there are already four defendants who remain in custody since late December on charges of membership of a criminal organization, corruption and money laundering, including the vice president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili, removed from her functions in the institution following her arrest although, like the rest, she maintains her seat.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
