European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili today took note of the coercive measure applied to suspected involvement in a criminal scheme allegedly linked to Qatar. Eva Kaili was detained red-handed in Brussels on Friday and will remain in protective custody from this Sunday, along with her partner and former deputy sheriff António Panzeri.
She is accused of “corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization”, according to the Belgian newspaper. Le Soir🇧🇷
MEP Eva Kaili’s father is also the target of the operation that began on Friday. Alexandros Kailis was caught outside a hotel in Brussels with a suitcase full of banknotes. But today he was released.
Under Belgian law, arrests to establish coercive measures cannot exceed 48 hours. The president of the International Trade Union Confederation, Luca Vincentini, was released, but with coercive measures.
Belgian police raided 16 homes in Brussels and on the outskirts of the city on Friday, seizing a total of 600,000 euros in cash, mobile phones and computer equipment.
Investigators of the Belgian judicial police have suspected for several months that a Gulf state could influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament.
Suspicions point to actions by Qatar to contact members “who hold an important political and/or strategic position”, reward them with gifts and large sums of money, and influence the European Parliament’s views on human rights in the country.
Eva Kaili recently called Qatar a “pioneer for workers’ rights”. These statements were made after a meeting with the Labor Minister of Qatar.
As is well known, there have been numerous international public expressions of concern over working conditions in Qatar, particularly over the construction of stadiums to host the World Cup.
But during the energy crisis, Western politicians have kept the country, one of the largest producers of liquefied natural gas, from antagonizing it as it searches for alternative sources of supply for Russian gas.
As a member of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili is protected by parliamentary immunity, but the red-handed discovery immediately determined that she was arrested and is now charged with involvement in a corruption scheme, criminal organization and money laundering, to override decisions in the European Parliament. to influence. Eva Kaili’s mandate has been suspended since yesterday after she was arrested red-handed.
In addition to Eva Kaili, her partner, a parliamentary assistant and the former deputy, a member of a lobby group is in custody.
Police also raided the house of a Belgian MEP this Sunday, confiscating computer equipment, but the deputy remains at large.
Source: DN
