Belgian police’s anti-corruption operation at the European Parliament in relation to Qatar has sparked a backlash in Brussels on Saturday, December 10, with elected officials and NGOs calling for an urgent debate on improving ethics at this great institution. of the EU. In the evening, the parliament announced the first sanction in this case. Greece’s Eva Kyle, who was arrested by police on Friday, has temporarily withdrawn from the tasks assigned to her by President Roberta Metzola, such as representing her in the Middle East. period.
Five people, including Eva Kylie, were arrested in Brussels on Friday following at least 16 searches as part of an investigation into suspected cash payments.as a resultby the Persian Gulf country to influence the decisions of the members of the European Parliament. The federal prosecutor’s office did not name the country, but a judicial source familiar with the matter confirmed to AFP that it was indeed Qatar. “Any allegation of improper behavior by the State of Qatar shows serious misinformation“, a Qatari government official responded to an AFP inquiry. The case erupted in the middle of the 2022 World Cup, while the host nation must make efforts to protect its tarnished reputation for respecting human rights, particularly workers’ rights.
And the case received an additional dimension when the identity of the fifth person arrested on Friday evening was confirmed. Eva Kaili, a Greek member of the European Parliament, is a 44-year-old former TV presenter who has become a figure of social democracy in her country. He has the title of Vice-President of the European Parliament, like 13 other elected officials. Now without delegations.
Facts “corruption“and”money laundering» in an organized orchestra
On Friday night, Eva Kiley was kicked out by the Socialist Party of Greece (Pasok-Kinal), which would also like her to give up her seat in the European Parliament. A possible remand must be decided by the investigating judge within 48 hours of the arrest, ie on Sunday at the latest. Belgian judge Michel Claes’ investigation is aimed at “corruption“and”money laundering“In an organized group, according to the prosecution.
On Saturday, Belgian newspaper L’Echo claimed that “several bags full of bills“Eva Kylie’s Brussels home, which police searched after surprising the father of an elected official, was found in possession of a large amount of cash.”a suitcase“.
The member of the European Parliament traveled to Qatar at the beginning of November, where he welcomed the emirate’s reforms in this field in the presence of the Minister of Labor of Qatar. “Qatar is a leader in labor rightsOn November 22, the Greek also said at the podium of the European Parliament. These comments, which at the time caused a great uproar in the ranks of the left, returned to the minds of many members of the European Parliament when the news of Eva Kylie’s arrest was published.
According to information confirmed to AFP, at least three suspects arrested on Friday are Italians or of Italian origin: former Socialist MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri (who served from 2004 to 2019), Luca, general secretary of the Confederation of Trade Unions (CSI). Visentini, as well as Francesco Giorgi, parliamentary assistant of the S&D group, companion of Eva Kylie. In addition to the five in Belgium, two arrests were made in Italy, an Italian government source confirmed to AFP in Rome on Saturday. This is the wife and daughter of Pierre-Antonio Panzeri.
“A serious scandal»
French socialists condemnedserious scandal“While conservationists Michel Rivas and David Cormand pointed the finger”guilty complacencyby some Social Democrats (S&D) during the debate on Qatar in the last plenary session. The next session, which starts on Monday in Strasbourg, promises to be intense. French MEP Manon Aubry (radical left) demanded a new debate on the same topic, condemning Saturday.Qatar’s aggressive lobbying“.
“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 and a lack of independent ethics oversight to flourish.“. This control in the institution “incompleteAlberto Alemanno, professor of law at the College of Europe in Bruges, added on Twitter.
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.