Former Vice-President of the European Parliament (EP) Eva Kaili, a key figure in the investigation into the corruption case known as Qatargate, was released from prison this Friday and is now under surveillance to a regime of house arrest in Belgium electronics.
The Greek MEP left Haren prison in Brussels in her lawyer’s car and was taken straight to her apartment near the European Parliament. There he will await his verdict.
“My daughter is waiting for me, I am very happy to be with her in a while. We will talk soon, thank you,” Kaili told reporters.
This was decided by the Belgian judiciary on Wednesday.
Of the Qatargate corruption scandal, which involved several MEPs and received rewards for positions favorable to countries such as Qatar and Morocco, the former EP president, elected by the Greek socialists, was the only one to remain in custody.
Eva Kaila, who has denied the allegations, is suspected of having brokered European Parliament decisions on behalf of foreign powers for years in exchange for cash payments.
The 44-year-old former vice-president of the EP, mother of a two-year-old daughter, was relieved of his duties in mid-December.
Eva Kaili did not benefit from parliamentary immunity because the crime was discovered red-handed and “bags of money” were discovered in her apartment.
On Tuesday, the Brussels court also ruled that Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, implicated in the Qatargate corruption scandal, will be placed on probation with an electronic bracelet, the spokesman for the Federal Government Ministry said.
Tarabella remains available to investigators and the investigating judge if they need more information, said the MEP, recalling that the suspect always defended his innocence.
Tarabella was arrested on February 10 after his parliamentary immunity was lifted.
In connection with the same plan, MEPs Francesco Georgi and Pier Antonio Panzeri, alleged leader of the plan, and Andrea Cozzolino were arrested.
Georgi was granted parole on Feb. 23 with an electronic bracelet, while Panzeri acquired the same regimen on Feb. 6 this month.
Panzeri, a former Italian MEP, agreed to cooperate with the police investigation in exchange for benefits related to the sentence.
Andrea Cozzolino is under house arrest in Naples pending a court decision on his surrender to the Belgian authorities.
Qatar and Morocco have vehemently denied being the source of corruption.
Source: DN
