Greece on Monday froze the assets of a key suspect in the case, Eva Kaili, a vice president in the European Parliament and one of four people arrested and charged in Belgium over the weekend, a source with knowledge of the matter said. Kaili’s office did not respond to a request for comment. Qatar has denied any wrongdoing. Belgian prosecutors searched 16 homes and seized 600,000 euros ($631,800) in Brussels on Friday as part of the investigation. The four unnamed suspects are charged with “participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption,” prosecutors said in a statement on Sunday. The European Parliament announced over the weekend that it had suspended Kaili from her duties, while the Greek socialist PASOK party announced that it was expelling her from its ranks. According to sources familiar with the case, the three other defendants are all Italian citizens — former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, International Trade Union Confederation general secretary Luca Visentini and Kylie’s associate Francesco Giorgi, who is a parliamentary aide . There were no responses to calls and emails made by Reuters to their respective offices or homes in Belgium. “This is an incredible incident that must be fully cleared up with the full force of the law,” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said as she arrived for a regular meeting with her EU counterparts in Brussels. “This is about Europe’s credibility.” Irish Foreign Secretary Simon Coveney echoed her concern. “It’s damaging. We need to get to the bottom of it.” Belgian prosecutors said they had suspected for months that a Gulf state was trying to buy influence in Brussels. A source with knowledge of the case said the state was Qatar. A Qatari official denied allegations of possible misconduct over the weekend. “Any link of the Qatari government to the reported allegations is baseless and seriously misinformed,” the official said.
QATAR SUPPORT
The investigation comes as World Cup host Qatar is in the global spotlight amid criticism of its human rights record, including its treatment of migrant workers. In a speech to the European Parliament on November 21 at the start of the month-long football tournament, Kaili attacked Qatar’s critics and hailed the energy-rich Gulf state as a “pioneer in labor rights”. “They committed to a vision by choice and opened up to the world. Still some here call to discriminate against them. They bully them and accuse everyone who talks to them or is involved (with them) of corruption,” Kaili said. The scandal is particularly embarrassing for parliament, which has seen itself as a moral compass in Brussels, pushing for tougher environmental or corporate rules, passing resolutions critical of human rights abuses around the world and forcing governments to of the EU in their duties. As they arrived at the EU meeting on Monday, ministers were quick to condemn the alleged corruption. “It is absolutely unacceptable, any kind of corruption,” said Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky. “Qatar is an important partner for EU energy,” he noted, while adding: “Of course the relationship between the EU and Qatar must be built on a set of policies, including human rights and labor rights.” Some European diplomats told Reuters last month that pressure to maintain good relations with Qatar is mounting as the continent heads into a winter of energy shortages due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The European Parliament was due to vote this week on a proposal to extend visa-free travel to the EU for Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Ecuador. Some lawmakers suggested postponing the vote. Others have called for a debate on the corruption scandal. Parliament was due to begin its plenary session in Strasbourg at 5pm. (16:00 GMT), with many members making the journey from Brussels in the morning. Reporting by Phil Blenkinsop in Brussels and Lefteris Papadimas in Athens. Additional reporting by Sudip Kar-Gupta, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout and Angeliki Koutandou. Ingrid Melander writes. Editor: Crispian Balmer Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
