EU vice-president and Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili is charged with corruption - bags of Qatari cash

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...corruption-Belgian-police-bags-cash-home.html

EU vice-president and Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili is charged with corruption after Belgian police found 'bags of cash' in her home in 'Qatar lobbying scandal'

• Eva Kaili, 44, was arrested on Friday and has now been charged with corruption
• The Greek socialist spoke publicly in support of the World Cup host's labour laws
• Three others also charged while at least one more MEP's house been searched
• The arrests followed raids in Brussels which turned up 600,000 euros in cash

The vice-president of the EU Parliament has been charged with corruption after Belgian police found 'bags of cash' in her home.

Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, 44, is one of four suspects to have been charged and detained in relation to a police investigation into alleged lobbying by World Cup hosts Qatar.

Belgian police are investigating allegations that figures working on behalf of Qatar have paid European politicians huge bribes to influence the Brussels policy debate.

Mrs Kaili, who has spoken publicly in support of Qatar's recent labour reforms, was arrested on Friday and has now been charged, along with three others. Two more have been released and the house of at least one more MEP has been searched by investigators.


The vice-president of the EU Parliament Eva Kaili (pictured) has been charged with corruption after Belgian police found 'bags of cash' in her home

The Belgian federal prosecutor's office did not identify the four by name, but a judicial source confirmed that Mrs Kaili was among those charged.

'Four individuals have been arrested by the Brussels investigating judge who is leading the investigation,' the federal prosecutor's office said in a statement.

'They are charged with participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption. Two persons have been released by the investigating judge.'

The arrests followed raids in Brussels which prosecutors said turned up 600,000 euros (£515,000) in cash. Police also seized computers and mobile phones.

Mrs Kaili has been stripped of her responsibilities as vice president of the parliament, notably that of representing president Roberta Metsola in the Middle East, but she remains an MEP.

She would normally enjoy immunity from criminal prosecution but there is an exception in cases where a suspect is caught red-handed in the act of committing an alleged crime. According to a judicial source, Belgian police detained Mrs Kaili in possession of 'bags of cash' and so she was brought before a judge.


Mrs Kaili, 44, (pictured) is one of four suspects to have been charged and detained in relation to a police investigation into alleged lobbying by World Cup hosts Qatar

Among the six arrested on Friday, after at least 16 police raids of premises in Brussels, were the former MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri and his fellow Italian Luca Visentini, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation.

'It is suspected that third parties in political and/or strategic positions within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence parliament's decisions,' the prosecutor's statement said, without pointing fingers directly at Qatar.

(...) more at the link

 

One thing to note: All those accused of corruption so far are left-wingers.

https://www.politico.eu/article/hun...ment-over-qatar-eva-kaili-corruption-scandal/

Hungary’s Orbán trolls EU Parliament over Qatar corruption scandal
The European Parliament in September branded Hungary ‘no longer a democracy.’



The Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán | Aris Oikonomou/AFP via Getty Images

BY WILHELMINE PREUSSEN
DECEMBER 12, 2022 3:56 PM CET

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday mocked the European Parliament on social media as the assembly reels from allegations that World Cup host Qatar paid for influence in Europe.

“Good morning to the European Parliament,” Orbán wrote on Twitter, posting an old photograph featuring former world leaders laughing and the words “and then they said … The EP is seriously concerned about corruption in Hungary.”

Belgian prosecutors charged European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili and three others with corruption on Sunday as part of a major investigation into an alleged illicit influence campaign by Qatar.

The European Parliament has taken a firm stance against Hungary in the past over the rule of law, declaring in September that the country is “no longer a democracy.”

 

In this particular case, I might be inclined to go for a "not guilty" verdict though.