Eva Kaili has been in prison since 9 December
The former vice-president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili would have confessed to being aware of the plan of corruption and extortion coming from Qatar during one of the depositions at the Belgian Public Prosecutor’s Office, informs the newspaper “Le Soir” this Tuesday (20).
According to the publication, the Greek MEP admitted that she had asked her father to hide cash and that she was aware that her partner, the parliamentary adviser of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, Francesco Giorgi, had a “collaboration” with the also Italian, the former deputy Antonio Panzeri.
All three have been in jail since December 9, when Belgian police launched an operation to dismantle a scheme for paying European Parliament politicians in goods and money to vote in favor of measures that would benefit “a Gulf country ” – which, according to the media, would be Qatar.
Also according to “Le Soir”, Panzeri also admitted having participated in the scheme, accusing the current Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella of being one of those who received the “gifts”. The politician publicly denied knowing about the plan, but his home underwent an operation the same day.
Around €1.5 million in €20 and €50 banknotes were found with Panzeri and Kaili, of which around €600,000 was in the suitcase with Kaili’s father in a Brussels hotel. The man was not charged in the trial.
The Belgian newspaper also points out that, on the day of the operation and after Giorgi’s arrest, the then vice-president of the Parliament tried to get in touch with two other MEPs – whose names were not disclosed. Despite having parliamentary immunity, Kaili was arrested because there was a crime in progress – different from the case of Tarabella – when bags with cash were found.
Panzeri’s wife – Also detained as part of the operation, but in Italy Panzeri’s wife, Maria Dolores Colleoni, 67, could be extradited to Belgium to stand trial, the Court of Appeal decided on Monday evening Brescia. ).
Colleoni was arrested together with her daughter Silva Panzeri on 9 December, but was placed under house arrest the following day. The woman is liable for the crimes of conspiracy, corruption and money laundering.
However, the court ruled that “in case of final conviction”, the sentence must be served in Italy.
Panzeri’s wife denies all allegations and said she did not know the source of the alleged money. Furthermore, she denied that the family had vacations worth 100,000 euros which were allegedly financed by Qatar. 🇧🇷
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Source: Terra
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
