“Qatargate” continues to make waves in the European Parliament. The institution announced on Monday January 2 that it had launched an emergency procedure, at the request of the Belgian judicial authorities, to lift the immunity of two MEPs as part of the corruption investigation.
The two elected officials concerned are the Italian Andrea Cozzolino and the Belgian Marc Tarabella, both belonging to the S & D group (social democrats), we learned from sources familiar with the matter. Both are targeted as part of the investigation which led Belgian investigators to arrest the vice-president of the institution, the Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, on December 9.
Money laundering and corruption
The latter’s companion, the Italian Francesco Giorgi, who is also Andrea Cozzolino’s parliamentary assistant, the former Italian socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, as well as an NGO official, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, were also among those arrested.
These four personalities were indicted for “belonging to a criminal organization”, “money laundering” et « corruption »in a scandal that caused shock waves in the European Parliament and tensions between Qatar and the EU.
“Qatargate”: MEP Eva Kaili kept in detention
Eva Kaili did not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because the offense had been found in flagrante delicto, “bags of tickets” were discovered in his apartment. She was stripped of her title of Vice-President of Parliament on December 13 by an almost unanimous vote of MEPs.
“No impunity”
In Belgium, the investigation gave rise to twenty searches between December 9 and 12, including within the European Parliament. The home of Marc Tarabella had been searched on December 10 in this context, according to a judicial source.
European Parliament: behind Qatargate, Marocgate
In total, Belgian investigators got their hands on 1.5 million euros in cash, according to a judicial source, seized from the homes of Pier Antonio Panzeri and Eva Kaili, as well as from a suitcase carried by the father. of it.
“Responding to a request from the Belgian judicial authorities, I launched an urgent procedure to lift the immunity of two members of Parliament. There will be no impunity, absolutely none,” indicated the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. “Officials will find this Parliament on the side of the law. Corruption cannot pay and we will do everything to fight it”she also said.
The President will formally communicate this request to MEPs during their next plenary session, on 16 January in Strasbourg. The parliamentary committee on legal affairs will then have to examine it, behind closed doors, and pronounce a proposal for a decision, which will be voted on by all MEPs.
The President of Parliament “asked all services and commissions to give priority to this procedure, with a view to its conclusion on February 13”the statement said.