Time.news – The plenary of the European Parliament wanted and had to give a strong signal: it voted almost unanimously (625 in favor out of 628 voters; one against and two abstentions) to dismiss Eva Kaili from the role of vice president. The Greek MEP, arrested in Brussels on charges of corruption from Qatar, is no longer “worthy” to represent the Eurochamber.
“I don’t want to touch the presumption of innocence but all who have been bribed must feel ashamed. For betraying the trust of citizens and their hard-working colleagues with honor and honesty”, said the European Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, during the debate on the scandal – now known as ‘Qatargate’ – in a Chamber in Strasbourg half empty.
❗️ Corruption is a crime that undermines our democracy, economy and society.
“To anyone accepting payoffs, kickbacks, bribes, I say: shame on you” ~ @YlvaJohansson
Next year we will propose a new law. We must criminalise all forms of corruption in all Member States #EPlenary pic.twitter.com/pjdQggM22I
— EU Home Affairs (@EUHomeAffairs) December 13, 2022
Shortly before, however, it was the vice president of the European Commission, Margaritis Schinas, who had to defend himself, who ended up in the spotlight for his close relations with Qatar and for having taken part in the opening ceremony of the World Cup. “All my statements have always been in line with the Commission’s policies. We don’t improvise, we don’t invent positions“, he replied to reporters in a press conference that became an interrogation.
“My political career of more than thirty years has always been clear, and certainly no one can say that I am naïve,” he explained. “Gifts from Qatar? Yes, a ball and a box of chocolates that I both left with the driver who accompanied me to the stadium. Then some World Cup souvenirs,” he clarified.
All this was happening in Strasbourg as the investigation expanded to Brussels. Those arrested, in interrogations, seem to be collaborating – according to local media reports – e on several occasions they mentioned the name of the socialist MEP, Marc Tarabella. That already on Saturday he underwent a house search and yesterday he was suspended from the party and from the group. S&d.
The scope of the investigation was represented by a photo released by the newspaper Le Soir, which immediately went around the web, which depicted the million and a half euros in cash seized in recent days in particular from Kaili and the former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri.