To prevent corruption scandals, such as those currently underway in the European Parliament, politicians are obliged to record all their conversations with lobbyists. This is what CDA MEP Tom Berendsen says in response to the arrest of the deputy president of the Parliament. Greek Social Democrat Eva Kaili is suspected of accepting bribes to improve Qatar’s reputation.
Following the scandal, the Belgian police carried out several house searches. Six people were arrested and suspected of, among other things, belonging to a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption. Cash was found at Kaili’s home, which is said to be linked to meetings with a Qatari official.
Kaili defended Qatar in parliament and praised, for example, the way the oil state treats migrant workers. But he has also lobbied for the lifting of visa requirements for Qatari travellers, says the MEP he has handled the matter. “It was very clear that he was very much in favor of this with not so many conditions,” German Green Erik Marquardt tells Deutsche Welle. She wouldn’t have cared much about the other candidates for that favor.
“If you look back on that debate, now some things are being seen in a different light,” Berendsen says. “It was surprising that this colleague was so positive about Qatar.” The Greek came up during the vote in the competent parliamentary committee on the abolition of the visa obligation, which also requires the consent of EU countries. And that’s while Kaili isn’t on that committee.
‘she hid’
MEPs often allow themselves to be replaced by a member of the group, but Kaili has been behaving strangely, says one of the parliament’s other four Social Democrat deputy chairs. “She sat all the way back, where only employees normally sit,” Katarina Barley told German broadcaster ZDF. “Away from our group. You can also say: she was hiding.’
The Belgian Social Democrat Marc Tarabella, also a suspect in the corruption scandal, also voted. The vote was in favor of Qatar. The entire parliament has yet to confirm that statement, but that probably won’t happen now.
“A Big Blow”
The scandal is a blow to Berendsen. It’s amazing what happened. I’m between angry and furious.’ The European Parliament is debating the matter tonight in Strasbourg. “The bags are packed to go to Strasbourg, this will certainly dominate next week’s agenda.”
According to Berendsen, he himself has never been contacted for any form of corruption. “Not that I know of anyway, unless he misinterpreted a signal.” The CDA delegation says it records all conversations with lobbyists on the parliament website and calls for this to be made mandatory for all members of parliament. ”Of course there are organizations and interest groups that want to convince you of certain points of view. But it’s up to the politician to follow your moral compass to make their judgement. Things like this should never play a part in any of this.” He calls the corruption scandal a blow to the European Parliament. ‘I think this is really outrageous. Trust in politicians is already very fragile. This hurts tremendously.’
Politicians should be honest
The scandal must therefore, according to Berendsen, be ‘thoroughly examined’. To do this, the police must have unrestricted access to all systems and buildings. In addition to the mandatory recording of conversations with lobbyists, records of who has access to buildings should also be kept.
According to Berendsen, parliament should be as transparent as possible. But she points out that ultimately it is also about whether an elected politician is willing to accept money in exchange for political influence. Politicians should be honest and have a moral compass. The question is, however, whether people who wish to harm can be prevented from actually taking action to do so.”
Frozen bank accounts
Kaili can no longer access his bank accounts and other assets, Greece’s anti-money laundering authority says, according to AFP news agency. All credits are frozen. This also applies to those of his parents and other loved ones. The former TV presenter had already been kicked out of her party, Greece’s PASOK, on Friday. The Social Democrats in the EU Parliament suspended you.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
