The International Trade Union Confederation separates from Luca Visentini.
Former Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, is still in prison.
The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has fired its General Secretary Luca Visentini because of the corruption scandal in the European Parliament. The Executive Board had lost confidence in the Italian, the ITUC announced on Sunday in Brussels. Visentini was arrested by the Belgian judiciary in mid-December along with five other suspects. After questioning, he was released.
Several other suspects were taken into custody, including Eva Kaili, Vice President of the European Parliament who has since been replaced. The Greek is still in prison.
The scandal is about alleged influence on decisions of the EU Parliament by Qatar and Morocco. The public prosecutor’s office has accused the accused of corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. Visentini is accused of accepting money from an NGO. He denies the allegations.
The statement said no evidence had been found that donations from Qatar or Morocco had influenced ITUC policy or programme. At the beginning of May, a new general secretary should be elected, who should then prepare an extraordinary congress. The ITUC is an international umbrella organization of trade unions.
(APA/dpa)