Qatargate: Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, suspect in
corruption probe, released from jail
BY PIETER
HAECK
FEBRUARY 3,
2023 5:45 PM CET
https://www.politico.eu/article/qatargate-suspects-corruption-probe-released-niccolo-figa-talamanca/
A Belgian
judge has allowed the release of one of the four detainees in the European
Parliament corruption probe, known as Qatargate, a prosecution spokesperson
told POLITICO.
Niccolò
Figà-Talamanca — secretary-general of No Peace Without Justice, one of the
nongovernmental organizations linked to the corruption scandal that has
engulfed the European Parliament — was set free. It’s not clear whether
conditions have been attached to the release, with the spokesperson unable to
comment on that.
Figà-Talamanca
had initially been granted release with an electronic monitor. But after the
Belgian prosecutor appealed the order, the Belgian chamber of indictment
reversed the earlier order at the end of December, keeping Figà-Talamanca in
jail.
Why a judge
has now ordered his release is unclear. By the time of publication,
Figà-Talamanca’s lawyer had not responded to a request for comment.
A
spokesperson for No Peace Without Justice said they were “very happy” for
Figà-Talamanca, “who finally tonight will be back with his family after this
period of privation of his personal freedom. We also note that the decision to
free him without conditions has been taken by the same investigating judge, in
whom we have had confidence since the start, who ordered his arrest. Now, we
hope that the next step will be for the charges to be archived and Niccolo’s
full rehabilitation.”
At present,
only former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, former European Parliament Vice
President Eva Kaili, and her partner Francesco Giorgi are still in jail. In
January, Panzeri struck a plea deal with the Belgian authorities in exchange
for naming those he bribed.
The
decision comes a day after the European Parliament waived the immunity of two
further MEPs, Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino, paving the
way for the investigators to call them in for questioning or even arrest them.
The
prosecutor’s spokesperson couldn’t provide comment as to potential imminent
action against the two.
Eddy Wax contributed reporting.
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