EU corruption scandal: 2 lawmakers lose immunity amid probe
February 2, 2023
The European Parliament on Thursday lifted the immunity of two lawmakers who will now face questioning by Belgian authorities in a graft probe linked to Qatar and Morocco.
They, and four people already in custody, are suspected of involvement in a bribery scheme that allegedly saw the two countries trying to influence decisions by the European legislature by means of money funneled through nongovernmental organizations.
The two MEPS, Marc Tarabella from Belgium and Andrea Cozzolino from Italy, have both declared their innocence, and Qatar and Morocco have also denied any wrongdoing.
Tarabella even himself voted in favor of having his immunity lifted, telling reporters later that "I remind you that I'm innocent in this affair" and that he looked forward to "justice running its course."
The affair has cast a bad light on an institution that itself has often pointed to cases of corruption in other quarters.
What are the two suspected of?
According to the report by the parliamentary committee in charge of the affair, Tarabella is suspected of accepting large amounts of money for taking particular points of view in the parliament in favor of a third country over the past two years.
Cozzolino is under suspicion of having made a deal with others in 2019 to oppose parliamentary decisions that could harm the interests of certain nations. He, too, is believed to have accepted money in return for the positions he professed.
What has happened so far in the investigation?
The investigation is looking at suspected cases of bribery, money laundering and criminal organization that involve European Parliament lawmakers, ex-lawmakers and parliamentary aides, among others.
Several addresses, including Tarabella's, were raided by police in December, with €1.5 million ($1.6 million) in cash discovered under suspicious circumstances.
Police ended up detaining and charging four people, including Greek MEP Eva Kaili, one of the legislature's 14 vice presidents. She has since been removed from that position.
The other three are Kaili's boyfriend, former parliamentary aide Francesco Giorgi, former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the head of an NGO that shared an address with an NGO founded by Panzeri. All three are Italian.
Panzeri has struck a plea bargain with prosecutors under which he is to hand over evidence of bribes made and the individuals involved in return for a lighter sentence.
Kaili has insisted on her innocence, while Giorgi reportedly has partly confessed.
tj/sms (dpa, AFP)