Subscribe here: [ Ссылка ] Fresh raids as Qatar corruption scandal rocks Brussels. European Commission president says allegations of payments to EU lawmakers are of the ‘utmost concern’. Belgian police raided a European parliamentary office on Monday in a widening corruption investigation involving World Cup host Qatar as top politicians pledged to clamp down on sleaze.
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The Belgian federal prosecutor said it had searched 20 premises including homes and offices and seized about €1mn in cash since Friday. Four people, including a member of the European parliament, will appear in front of a judge in Brussels on Wednesday after being charged with “participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption”.
They have not named the MEP but Eva Kaili, a Greek socialist who was a vice-president of the body, has been stripped of her responsibilities and party membership.
The prosecutor said it had “frozen” data belonging to 10 assistants to MEPs. Police seized €600,000 in cash at a suspect’s home, €150,000 at Kaili’s flat and “several hundred thousand euros” in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel room.
Pierantonio Panzeri, a former MEP, is among the four charged by the Belgian authorities, according to Italian prosecutors.
In response to the scandal, Brussels must set up a body to uphold rules on integrity and ethics across all EU institutions, the European Commission president said on Monday. Ursula von der Leyen said allegations that Qatar was seeking to buy influence in the chamber was of the “utmost concern” and undermined the confidence of citizens in the EU.
Von der Leyen said there was already a watchdog overseeing matters of transparency and independence at the commission but that she wanted to see “the same rules across all European institutions”, including the parliament.
Leading ministers from across the bloc said the scandal raised questions about the “credibility” of the EU, and demanded a full investigation into the alleged payments.
“This is an unbelievable incident that must now be clarified without ifs and buts with the full severity of the law,” said Annalena Baerbock, Germany’s minister of foreign affairs.
“This is about the credibility of Europe, so this has to trigger consequences in various areas,” Baerbock added.
The scandal has triggered official resignations and the suspension of a parliamentary vote on granting Qatari nationals visa-free travel to the bloc, due next week.
The head of Greece’s anti-money laundering authority on Monday ordered a freeze of Kaili’s Greek financial assets and those of her associates. During its investigation it said it had discovered that an Athens-based real estate company had been formed on November 30, under the names of Kaili and her partner.
Kaili, her partner and her lawyer could not be reached for comment.
One MEP suspended himself from the socialist group in the European parliament, to which Kaili belonged, on Monday, while three more stepped down from parliamentary roles.
“Today is a dark day for European institutions,” group leader Iratxe García Pérez said. “You can be sure that we will keep our clear commitment to fight against corruption and to be transparent and take strong and firm positions.”
Roberta Metsola, president of the European parliament, told a meeting of MEPs in Strasbourg that “malign actors linked to autocratic third countries had allegedly weaponised” a series of entities including unions, NGOs and MEPs in their efforts to undermine democracy”.
Doha has rejected any allegations of misconduct. “Any association of the Qatari government with the reported claims is baseless and gravely misinformed,” an official said.
