Belgium makes arrests by European Parliament in Qatar corruption probe
Belgian police have arrested a vice-president of the European Parliament and four other people in connection with a corruption investigation involving World Cup host Qatar, prosecutors said on Friday (December 9th).
Officers arrested Greek Socialist MEP Eva Kaili hours after four other suspects were arrested for questioning. All four were either Italian citizens or originally from Italy.
Kaili is the partner of one of the four, a parliamentary assistant from the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, the source said.
Following reports of Kaili’s arrest, the president of the Greek Socialists (PASOK) Nikos Androulakis announced on Twitter that she had been expelled from the party.
A statement released earlier by Belgian prosecutors mentioned a Gulf country as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation, but did not name it. And although he said a former MEP was among those arrested, he did not identify him.
But the Belgian press said the country concerned was Qatar and named former MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri of Italy, who served as a socialist in parliament between 2004 and 2019.
Thousands of euros seized
The Belgian federal prosecutor announced the previous arrests after a series of searches at 16 search addresses in the capital Brussels.
“Today’s searches have enabled investigators to recover approximately 600,000 euros in cash,” prosecutors said in a statement.
“Computer equipment and mobile phones were also seized. These elements will be analyzed as part of the investigations.
Investigators “suspect a Gulf country (of influencing) the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament,” the statement added.
It was alleged that this was done “by paying large sums of money or giving large gifts to” influential figures in the European Parliament.
A source close to the case confirmed media reports that the probe was into alleged attempts by Qatar to bribe a former Italian Socialist MEP, whom Belgian media Le Soir and Knack named Panzeri.
The European Parliament “recognized and respected” Qatar’s progress in labor reforms, she added.
She made similar comments during a speech to the European Parliament later in November, accusing some MPs of “harassing” Qatar and accusing them of corruption.
Panzeri, 67, currently heads a Brussels-based human rights organization called Fight Impunity.
According to reports, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), the Italian Luca Visentini, was also among those arrested. The CSI said it was “aware” of the media reports, but had no further comment at this time.
Corruption charge
The alleged corruption comes as World Cup hosts Qatar have made a major push to improve their image amid criticism over their record on worker protections and human rights.
Migrant workers make up more than 2.5 million of Qatar’s 2.9 million people and working conditions have come under heavy criticism, particularly ahead of the World Cup.
Doha has implemented reforms to its migrant labor system, but critics insist that more work needs to be done to ensure the changes have an impact.
Qatar’s World Cup has also been held back on corruption charges, reducing FIFA members’ vote to award the tournament to the energy-rich Gulf state.
Belgian newspaper France Soir pointed out that Friday’s raids took place on the United Nations-designated International Anti-Corruption Day.