Qatargate: Belgium asks EU Parliament to waive
immunity of MEPs Tarabella, Cozzolino
If approved by all MEPs later this month, Belgian
authorities will be able to be pursue charges against the Socialist lawmakers.
BY EDDY WAX
JANUARY 2,
2023 6:39 PM CET
Belgian
investigators asked the European Parliament to waive the immunity of two more
MEPs suspected of wrongdoing amid a sprawling corruption scandal linked to
alleged bribery by Qatar and Morocco.
Socialists
& Democrats lawmakers Marc Tarabella, a Belgian MEP, and Andrea Cozzolino,
an Italian, are those now being targeted, according to an EU official close to
the matter, as well as an insider in the S&D group in the Parliament. Both
spoke on condition of anonymity in order not to jeopardize the legal procedure.
The Belgian prosecutor declined to provide comment.
The
Parliament has vowed to crack down on corruption and illicit lobbying, deciding
in December to establish a special committee to run in parallel with a probe by
Belgian prosecutor Michel Claise. “There will be no impunity. None,” wrote
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Twitter.
This was a
knowing nod to the NGO Fight Impunity, which former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri
established in 2019 with his former assistant Francesco Giorgi, who has worked
as Cozzolino’s assistant since 2019.
The
immunity of Giorgi’s partner, Eva Kaili, formerly one of the Parliament’s 14
vice presidents, was automatically stripped away because she was considered to
have been caught in the act of committing an offense. The Belgian prosecutor
also found €150,000 in cash at her Brussels apartment after the scandal broke
on December 9. Belgian authorities then arrested her and seized bags of cash in
Brussels.
MEPs removed
Kaili as a vice president last month and along with Giorgi, former MEP Panzeri
and NGO boss Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, she is now facing preliminary charges of
corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization.
The
Parliament will officially kick start the lengthy procedure for removing legal
protection for Tarabella and Cozzolino when MEPs next gather in Strasbourg on
January 16. At that time, the Parliament’s legal affairs committee will give
the two MEPs a chance to say their piece and rubber stamp the measure before
handing it over to the entire plenary of lawmakers for a final vote, which will
likely be an overwhelming majority.
The
Socialists & Democrats group in Parliament said in a statement to POLITICO
that its members would “follow, in the context of the European Parliament, the
procedures foreseen in a responsible and constructive manner.”
In a
separate statement shared with POLITICO, Tarabella’s lawyer Maxim Töller said
the MEP would support the lifting of his immunity. “Since the beginning of this
investigation, Marc Tarabella has repeated that he is at the disposal of the
judiciary and has even asked to be questioned rapidly in order to defend
himself. He has equally said that he would not hide behind his parliamentary
immunity,” Töller wrote.
Metsola was
present during a search that Belgian police conducted at Tarabella’s house on
December 10, looking for potentially compromising material.
Tarabella
has proclaimed his innocence. He is vice chair of the European Parliament’s
delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula and co-chair of the
institution’s sports group — an important role in the leadup to Qatar’s hosting
of the FIFA World Cup last year.
Cozzolino
publicly asked for his immunity to be lifted and has also denied wrongdoing.
Since the
scandal broke, Cozzolino temporarily stood down as chair of a delegation for
relations with Maghreb countries and also stood back from his role as his
group’s coordinator on drafting resolutions on human rights abuses outside the
EU. At the time of publishing, he had not responded to POLITICO’s requests for
comment.
“President
Metsola will also set out her intentions for reforms in the coming weeks,
including an overhaul of the current rules and improving internal systems,
including on enforcement,” the Parliament said in a press statement. Metsola
wants the immunity waiver to be wrapped up by mid-February.
Pieter Haeck contributed reporting.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário