The Brussels investigating judge Michel Claise does not intend to give up the “Morocco-Qatargate” file, even if the lawyer for the MEP Marc Tarabella, one of the alleged actors in the scandal on foreign interference in the European Parliament, filed a challenge against him. The lawyer for the elected Belgian socialist believes that, in the arrest warrant he issued on February 11, Judge Claise presumes his client’s guilt by invoking his changes of opinion about the Qatari regime. The Brussels Court of Appeal is due to rule next week.
Mr. Tarabella is in detention until at least mid-March, like Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged “mastermind” of the corruption affair which broke on December 9, 2022, and Eva Kaili, ex-vice president of Parliament European. Her companion, Francesco Giorgi, was released on Thursday February 23 and placed under the electronic bracelet regime.
Lawyers for the elected Greek have demanded her release so that she can take care of her 24-month-old child. However, the Brussels council chamber opposed it, arousing the anger of a dozen Italian socialist MEPs who denounced the « torture » of which M would be a victimme Search. Me Sven Mary, one of the councils of the elected Greek, believes that the continued detention is only justified by the words of Mr. Panzeri “who lied for two months and who, now repentant, would have a word of the Gospel”.
The international warrants issued by the Belgian courts are now “leaking” and confirm that the file has not given up all its secrets. Thus, a request sent to Greece and seen by the media of this country evokes “several million euros” which would have been paid by Morocco and Qatar. We had mentioned so far the seizure of 1.5 million in total. The warrant would also state that on December 9, the day Mr. Giorgi was first apprehended, Mr.me Kaili urgently called Mr. Panzeri “and two other deputies”whose names are not mentioned.
Sanctions never applied
Another shipment to Italian justice is intriguing. A court in Naples is due to rule on February 28 on the surrender to Belgium of MEP Andrea Cozzolino, a close friend of Mr. Panzeri. In a mandate of February 10, Judge Claise mentioned the name of two elected socialists, the Italian Alessandra Moretti and the Belgian Marie Arena. They would be suspected of having also acted in favor of Qatar. Mme Arena denies any involvement, Mme Moretti told the site Politico : “I never followed Mr. Panzeri’s instructions. »
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