Complaints against deputies accused of corruption in the EP come to light
The report prepared on the lifting of the immunity of the Italian Cozzolino and the Belgian Tarabella has been published and will be voted on tomorrow at the EP General Assembly.
According to the report, Belgian prosecutors accuse Cozzolino of receiving money in exchange for blocking EP decisions in the interest of non-EU countries.
Prosecutors allege that Cozzolino was part of a deal that included collaborating with others in parliament to protect the interests of foreign states after 2019.
Tarabella is accused of assuming certain positions in the EP for the benefit of a third country in exchange for cash.
Referring to the statements of the suspects, the report includes the accusation that Tarabella received a total of 120,000 to 140,000 euros in cash on various occasions within this framework. Both legislators deny the accusations.
At the request of the Belgian courts, last month the process of lifting the immunity of Cozzolino and Tarabella began. The EP Committee on Legal Affairs had unanimously decided yesterday to lift their immunity. The same decision is expected to be taken tomorrow at the EP General Assembly.
If the decision to lift immunity is taken, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, must transmit the decision to both the Members and the requesting judicial authorities. Belgian prosecutors are expected to carry out the next trial.
CORRUPTION INVESTIGATION
In the framework of the investigation for corruption, bribery and money laundering carried out by the Belgian authorities, in December last year searches were carried out at many points, 1.5 million euros in cash were seized and 4 people were arrested .
The detainees were announced to be Greek MEP Eva Kaili, whose EP vice-president was sacked, Italian former EP MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, Kaili’s boyfriend Francesco Giorgi, who was working as an EP assistant, and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, director of the non-governmental organization that works for the rule of law.
Giorgi was alleged to have said in his statement that two MEPs, Andrea Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella, received money from Panzeri. The president of the EP, Roberta Metsola, started the process to lift the immunity of Cozzolino and Tarabella.
It was alleged that these individuals accepted bribes from a Gulf country to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament. Qatar, which was mentioned in the news on the matter, denied the allegations.
Later in the news, it was claimed that Morocco bribed these people as well and that Moroccan intelligence and the Moroccan ambassador in Warsaw, Abderrahim Atmoun, met with the suspects. (AA)