Corruption investigation ongoing
Eva Kaili is put under house arrest with ankle cuffs
4/12/2023, 6:02 p.m
The former Vice President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, has to go to prison after being accused of bribery. She can now leave and be placed under house arrest. However, she has to wear an ankle bracelet there.
According to media reports, the former Vice President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, is allowed to leave prison under certain conditions in the EU corruption scandal. After about four months in prison, the Greek woman was allowed to spend her further detention under house arrest with electronic surveillance, several media reported, citing Kaili’s lawyer and the public prosecutor’s office. She was the last suspect in the scandal to remain in jail.
The bribery scandal that became public at the end of last year is about alleged influence on decisions of the EU Parliament by the governments of Qatar and Morocco. The public prosecutor accuses the accused of corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization.
Kaili, her partner and other suspects were arrested in early December as part of the corruption investigation. Investigators found “pockets full of cash” at Kaili’s. In total, the investigators secured 1.5 million euros during the searches. The European Parliament then dismissed Kaili as Vice President in mid-December. She also lost the parliamentary seat of her socialist party Pasok in Greece.
The alleged mastermind Antonio Panzeri was allowed to leave prison last week. In January he signed an agreement with the public prosecutor’s office in which he promised comprehensive cooperation in clarifying the scandal. Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella was released on Tuesday and placed under house arrest. This has been the case for Kaili’s partner Francesco Giorgi since the end of February. European parliamentarian Andrea Cozzolino is also under house arrest in Naples because of possible involvement in the scandal.