New details about the testimony-confession of Francesco Giorgi, the partner of Eva Kaili, who was arrested along with her and two other people for Qatar-gate are presented on Friday by Corriere della Serra.
According to the report, Giorgi, who is considered one of the key figures in the Belgian authorities’ investigation into the corruption scandal rocking the European Parliament, “was a river” in his interrogation last Saturday (10/12).
“He was talking for ten hours forcing the chief prosecutor of the investigation to postpone the interrogations of the other persons until the next day. He mentioned names and surnames, gave explanations, told to whom and by whom the money was trafficked by the NGO Fight Impunity (founded by the also accused of Qatargate, Italian former MEP Antonio Pangeri), referred to large donations made thanks to the prestige given to her by the members of the council in honor of which Nobel Prize winners participated, former commissioners and former prime ministers,” says Corriere.
According to the publication, Giorgi took full responsibility for the money found in 20 and 50 euro notes, applying, as it is pointed out, “the strategy of Eva Kaili: to separate one from the other trying to save the one who has the most to lose, such as Mrs. Kaili as a mother and as a person whose prestige is affected.
According to the Corriere della Serra, Giorgi “broke down” and admitted the facts, namely that he and only he received the money found in the apartment in the center of Brussels in which he lived with Eva Kaili and from this money was what was found in the suitcase of the Greek MEP’s father when he was stopped by police officers outside the Sofitel Hotel in the Belgian capital on December 9th.
The Italian newspaper also highlights the second investigation against Eva Kaili that became known on Thursday afternoon (15/12) for fraud against the EU budget, in relation to the management of parliamentary allowance, and in particular regarding the remuneration of accredited parliamentary assistants.
Finally, the publication refers to the investigation launched in Athens by the Financial Prosecutor’s Office for the offences of bribery and money laundering by the Eva Kaili on the condition that the MEP is not prosecuted in Belgium for the same facts.
As he wrote yesterday, Thursday, the protothema.gr reports indicate that the financial prosecutor asked two of his colleagues to request from the Belgian authorities, through legal assistance in cooperation with the national member of Eurojust for Greece, copies of the case file that has so far been formed for the MEP. The two prosecutors will also ask about the progress of the Belgian authorities’ investigations so far.
The purpose of the two prosecutors will be to ascertain whether Ms Kaili may have committed the offences of bribery of a political figure and money laundering, in conjunction with Article 57(4) of the CCP (on the impediment to a new criminal prosecution). The two prosecutors will also investigate whether any other ex officio offense has been committed.
