People involved in a corruption scandal in the European Parliament have begun to testify
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BRUSSELS, December 20 – The Belgian newspaper LeSoir reported on Tuesday, citing documents from the investigation, that the defendants in the corruption scandal in the European Parliament have begun to testify.
In particular, Greek citizen Eva Kaili, who until recently held the position of Vice-President of the European Parliament, admitted that she handed her father in Brussels a bag with euro money, which he had to hide. She also admitted that this money was in her apartment.
Earlier, the police arrested the politician’s father with a large amount of cash in a Brussels hotel.
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In turn, the former member of the European Parliament, Italian citizen Antonio Panzieri, who is considered the organizer of corruption schemes, partially admitted his involvement in the scandal related to the interference of Qatar and Morocco in the affairs of the European Union, according to the newspaper. Pantsiri was arrested at his apartment in Brussels, where 600,000 euros in cash were found.
The investigation documents also contain the names of three other MPs who may have been involved in corruption.
In early December, the Belgian police and prosecutors carried out several arrests and searches in Brussels, the seat of the European Parliament, due to an investigation into suspicions of corruption related to hosting the World Cup in Qatar. In particular, the vice-president of the European Parliament, Greek politician Eva Kaili and her partner were detained by the police, and the residence was searched.
We talk about the possibility of receiving “big cash rewards” and “expensive gifts” to support the application of Qatar, which was preparing to host the World Cup.
Last week, it became known that Belgian investigators had seized more than 1.5 million euros in cash and valuable gifts from the suspects. Kylie was expelled from her political party in her home country and also lost her position in the European Parliament.
The Belgian media also reported that, in addition to Qatar, MEPs also tried to influence Morocco.
The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, said she intends to “restore the reputation” of this important European institution, which has been embroiled in one of the most prominent corruption scandals in recent years. In particular, it intends to propose a change in the system of interaction between deputies and representatives of foreign states and organizations. The proposed reform includes strengthening the parliamentary system to protect whistleblowers, banning any informal associations of friendship with foreign countries, and revising the code of conduct for MPs.
