European Parliament Vice President charged in Qatar bribery scandal
Eva Kaili MEP and Pier Antonio Panzeri
A Greek lawmaker and Vice-President of the European Parliament has been arrested in connection with allegations that Qatar – currently hosting the World Cup – tried tried to gain favour through corruption.
Eva Kaili, a former TV presenter, was removed from her position in the European Parliament, suspended by the Eurpean Socialists and Democrats group and ejected by PASOK, her party in Greece.
Also arrested were Kaili’s partner Francesco Giorgi, an assistant to another MEP and founder of the NGO Fight Impunity, along with its President, Italian former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and an unnamed lobbyist. All four have been held in custody.
“It is suspected that third parties in political and/or strategic positions within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence Parliament’s decisions,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s office said.
In November – after visiting Qatar - Kaili spoke on the floor of Parliament and praised Qatar's labor rights record despite reports some 6500 former workers died building facilities for the World Cup.
The four individuals arrested were charged with “participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption. ” Belgian police confirmed two other individuals had been released
The Belgian newspaper L'Echo said “several bags full of banknotes” were discovered at Kaili’s Brussels home and that police searched the premises after allegedly finding her father in possession of a large amount of cash in a suitcase.
Prosecutors said the investigation by Belgian judge Michel Claise is looking into corruption and money laundering within an organized gang.
Kaili’s father, who was also detained in the probe, was released, as was trade union leader Luca Visentini. According to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, MEP Panzeri’s wife and daughter were arrested by Italian police in connection to the invesitgation the investigation.
The home of Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, Vice-Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula and co-chair of the institution’s sports group was said to have been raided, but he was not arrested.
The Socialists and Democrats Group said it had “zero tolerance” for corruption, and would support the investigation. The group had earlier come under criticism for being soft on Qatar's record on human and labor rights.
All in all, some 600,000 euros in cash was reportedly confiscated by Belgian police in 16 searches and home raids, along with computers and mobile phones so the contents could be examined.
A Qatari government spokesperson told Agence France-Presse that, “We are not aware of any details of an investigation. Any claims of misconduct by the State of Qatar are gravely misinformed,” and that the country “operates in full compliance with international laws and regulations.”
Investigators released a statement that said that Qatar was trying to target aides at the Parliament and influencing them by means of “paying large sums of money or offering large gifts to third parties with a significant political and/or strategic position within the European Parliament.”
The arrests, which came on 9 December – International Anti-Corruption Day – surprised officials in the European institutions. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola’s spokesperson said that she and the Assembly stand “firmly against corruption, are actively and fully cooperating with law enforcement and judicial authorities to assist the course of justice,” her spokesperson said.
But Transparency International said that, "This is not an isolated incident. For several decades [the European Parliament] has allowed a culture of impunity to develop ... and a total absence of independent ethical control.”