The two elected officials concerned are the Italian Andrea Cozzolino and the Belgian Marc Tarabella, from the S&D group (Social Democrats).
The European Parliament announced on Monday 2 January that it had launched an emergency procedure, following a request from the Belgian judicial authorities, to lift the immunity of two MEPs in the context of an investigation into corruption within the institution involving Qatar.
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The two elected officials concerned are the Italian Andrea Cozzolino and the Belgian Marc Tarabella, both belonging to the S&D group (Social Democrats), AFP learned from sources familiar with the matter. Both are targeted as part of the investigation which led Belgian investigators to arrest the vice-president of the institution, the Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili, on December 9.
The latter’s companion, the Italian Francesco Giorgi, who is also Andrea Cozzolino’s parliamentary assistant, the former Italian socialist MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri, as well as an NGO official, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, were also among those arrested. These four personalities were indicted for “membership in a criminal organization», «money laundering” and “corruptionin a scandal that sent shockwaves through the European Parliament and tensions between Qatar and the EU.
Eva Kaili did not benefit from her parliamentary immunity because the offense had been found in flagrante delicto, “ticket bagsbeing discovered in his apartment. She was stripped of her title of Vice-President of the European Parliament on December 13 by an almost unanimous vote of MEPs. In Belgium, the investigation gave rise to twenty searches between December 9 and 12, including within the European Parliament. The home of Marc Tarabella had been searched on December 10 in this context, according to a judicial source.
“No impunity»
In total, the Belgian investigators got their hands on 1.5 million euros in cash, according to a judicial source, seized from the homes of Mr. Panzeri and Eva Kaili, as well as in a suitcase carried by the father of this one. “Responding to a request from the Belgian judicial authorities, I launched an urgent procedure to lift the immunity of two members of Parliament. There will be no impunity, absolutely noEuropean Parliament President Roberta Metsola said on Twitter on Monday. “Officials will find this Parliament on the side of the law. Corruption cannot pay and we will do everything to fight it“, she also said.
Roberta Metsola will formally communicate this request to MEPs during their next plenary session, on 16 January in Strasbourg. The Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) will then have to examine it, behind closed doors, and pronounce a proposal for a decision, which will ultimately be voted on by all MEPs in plenary. The President of Parliamentasked all departments and committees to give priority to this procedure, with a view to its conclusion on 13 February“, specifies the press release.
As of December 13, the Belgian Socialist Party had decided to suspend Marc Tarabella from his membership. And on December 16, the Italian Democratic Party announced that it was suspendingas a preventive measureAndrea Cozzolino from the register of its members,until the closure of the ongoing investigations into the +Qatargate+ scandal“, in order to “protect the party’s image“.
SEE ALSO – Qatargate: Eva Kaili’s lawyers request placement under electronic bracelet