An Italian court has upheld the house arrest of the wife and daughter of former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who are being held in Belgium in an investigation into alleged illegal lobbying by Qatar to influence political decisions in the European Parliament (EP).
According to the local press, Italy’s public prosecutor’s office claimed on Saturday in a court in the northern city of Brescia that Maria Colleoni and Silvia Panzeri were aware of the former left-wing MEP’s activities.
The trial of the two defendants will begin on December 19.
Maria Colleoni, Panzeri’s wife, was arrested Friday night in the town of Calusco d’Adda while their daughter, Silvia, was arrested in Milan, both in response to a European arrest warrant.
According to the Belgian press, Panzeri was one of five detainees arrested in Belgium on Friday as part of an investigation into Qatar’s alleged illegal lobbying activities.
According to the newspapers “Le Soir” and “Knack”, the Brussels police carried out 16 house searches and arrests, including the then Vice-President of the European Parliament, the Greek Social Democrat Eva Kaili and the newly elected president of the International Trade Union Confederation, the largest group trade union organizations in the world, Luca Visentini.
“For several months now, police detectives have suspected that a Gulf state is trying to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament,” the Federal Prosecutor’s Office confirmed in a statement on Friday.
This state allegedly carried out this strategy by “paying substantial sums and offering important gifts to third parties, to people with an important political or strategic position within the European Parliament,” he added.
Although the Belgian public prosecutor’s office does not explicitly mention Qatar, the two Belgian media cite various sources that confirm that it is the country that organizes the World Cup.
According to “Le Soir”, Qatar’s aim was to defend its image as the organizer of this competition, especially after the controversy over the working conditions of migrants and the protection of human rights in this country.
The Public Prosecution Service confirmed that computer equipment, mobile phones and approximately 600,000 euros in banknotes were seized during the house searches.
According to Belgian newspapers, half a million euros in cash were also found in the house of Panzeri, the current president of the Fight Impunity association, which fights against impunity for serious human rights violations or crimes against humanity.
Speaking on the social network Twitter on Saturday, EP President Roberta Metsola said the institution is “steadfast against corruption” and guaranteed it will “fully cooperate with the appropriate police and judicial authorities”.
The European Parliament (EP) has suspended the vice presidency of Greek Social Democratic MP Eva Kaili, who was arrested in Belgium on Friday. “In light of the ongoing judicial investigations carried out by the Belgian authorities, Chairman [do Parlamento Europeu, Roberta] Metsola has decided to suspend with immediate effect all powers, duties and functions delegated to Eva Kaili as Vice President of the European Parliament,” a spokesperson for the MEP leader revealed.
Source: DN
