Corruption scandal: EU Parliament Vice Kaili about to be dismissed
corruption scandal
EU Parliament Vice Kaili about to be dismissed
EU Parliament Vice Eva Kaili was relieved of her duties at the weekend. photo
© Eric Vidal/European Parliament/dpa
After the allegations of bribery money became known, there was sheer horror in the European Parliament. Further consequences are now emerging – for Parliament Vice President Kaili and for Qatar.
The Vice-President of the European Parliament, who is suspected of bribery, Eva Kaili, threatened with final dismissal. A meeting of the so-called Conference of Presidents is scheduled for the morning in Strasbourg – in addition to Parliament President Roberta Metsola, these are the chairmen of the parliamentary groups. They are to initiate the process of dismissing former TV presenter Eva Kaili as MP. The plenary session is then to debate it on the same day.
From her Greek Pasok party and the Socialist Group in the European Parliament the 44-year-old was already excluded. Metsola had also relieved her of her duties as vice president at the weekend.
Greek social democrat Kaili is one of six suspects who have been arrested by the Belgian authorities since Friday corruption scandal have been arrested. Four of them were taken into custody on Sunday – including Kaili, her boyfriend and former MEP Antonio Panzeri, according to information from the German Press Agency and other media. According to the public prosecutor’s office, they are to appear before a court chamber on Wednesday, which is to decide whether the detention is to be maintained and how to proceed.
Qatar is said to have influenced the EU Parliament
The four suspects are involved in a criminal organization, money laundering and the corruption accused. It is said that the Gulf Emirate of Qatar, which is currently hosting the soccer World Cup, has tried to influence political decisions in the European Parliament with extensive monetary and material gifts.
A possible visa facilitation for Qatar should therefore not be available any time soon. Although the responsible committee had voted in favor of it at the beginning of December, the plenary referred the dossier back to the committee on Monday in view of the latest revelations. “We must ensure that this process has not been influenced by corruption. We must also ensure that any attempt to attack our democracy has consequences,” said the responsible rapporteur, Erik Marquardt (Greens). Qatar rejected the allegations against the government in Doha in the scandal as unfounded
Found a suitcase full of money
In the Belgian capital, the investigators are pushing ahead with their work. They also searched rooms in the EU Parliament in Brussels on Monday, as the public prosecutor announced. Data was confiscated from the computers of ten parliamentary employees. There were also raids in Italy on Sunday.
According to the information, there have been a total of 20 searches since the beginning of the investigation – 19 in offices and living quarters and one in the European Parliament itself. According to this, 600,000 euros were found on a suspect, several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel and 150,000 euros in the apartment an MEP, whose name was not given.
Meanwhile, Kaili herself continues to come under pressure in her home country. The Greek anti-money laundering authority froze all of the 44-year-old’s assets. The same applies to her parents, her sister and her boyfriend, who are also arrested in Belgium. Accounts, real estate holdings, company investments and similar assets would be examined.
