By Lesoir and AFP – Heard since Friday in an investigation of the Belgian justice on suspicions of corruption in connection with Qatar, Ms. Kaili has seen her delegations to the European Parliament withdrawn.
An anti-corruption operation of the Belgian police in the European Parliament, in connection with Qatar, aroused on Saturday very strong reactions in Brussels, elected officials and NGOs calling for urgent debate on an improvement of ethics rules in this major EU institution.
In the evening, Parliament announced the first sanction in this case: the Greek Eva Kaili, arrested Friday by the police, was temporarily withdrawn from the tasks delegated to her by President Roberta Metsola, such as that of representing her in the Middle East region.
“This is not an isolated incident,” Transparency International responded the day after the police operation. “For several decades, Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop (…) and a complete lack of independent ethical oversight.”
This control in the institution is “defective”, added on Twitter Alberto Alemanno, professor of law at the College of Europe in Bruges.
Five people including Eva Kaili were arrested Friday in Brussels after at least 16 searches in an investigation into suspicions of “substantial” payments of money by a Gulf country to influence the decisions of MEPs.
The federal prosecutor’s office did not name the country, but a judicial source close to the case confirmed to AFP that it was Qatar, as revealed by Le Soir and Knack..
“Any allegation of misconduct on the part of the State of Qatar shows serious disinformation,” a Qatari government official told AFP on Saturday.
The case erupts in the middle of the 2022 World Cup, while the host country must make efforts to defend its decried reputation for respect for human rights, especially those of workers.
And the case took on an additional dimension when the identity of the fifth person arrested Friday night was confirmed.
Greek MEP Eva Kaili is a 44-year-old former TV presenter who has become a social democratic figure in her country. She has the title of Vice-President of the European Parliament like 13 other elected representatives. Now without delegations.
“In light of the ongoing judicial investigations by the Belgian authorities, President Metsola has decided to suspend with immediate effect all powers, duties and tasks that have been delegated to Eva Kaili in her capacity as Vice-President of the European Parliament,” a spokesperson for Ms Metsola said in the evening.
‘Bags full of Cash’
On Friday evening, Kaili was expelled from the Greek Socialist Party (Pasok-Kinal), which would also like to see her give up her seat in the European Parliament. The Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European assembly announced its suspension “with immediate effect”.
On Saturday, the hearings of five suspects continued in Brussels, according to a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s office.
A possible placement in pre-trial detention by the investigating judge must be decided within 48 hours after the arrest, i.e. Sunday at the latest.
The investigation of Belgian judge Michel Claise targets facts of “corruption” and “money laundering” in organized gang, according to the prosecutor’s office.
