The investigation for alleged corruption involving Qatar is moving forward.

Belgian justice has asked the European Parliament to lift the immunity of two MEPs, Italian Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian Marc Tarabella, both belonging to the Social Democrats group.

They are targeted as part of the investigation which led the Belgians to arrest on December 9 a vice-president of Parliament, the Greek socialist MEP Eva Kaili.

Placed in preventive detention, she was charged with her companion, a former MEP and an NGO official for "belonging to a criminal organization", "money laundering" and "corruption" for the benefit of from Qatar


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.

In total, the Belgian investigators had got their hands on 1.5 million euros in cash, according to a judicial source, seized from the homes of Andrea Cozzolino of Eva Kaili, as well as in a suitcase carried by the father of this one.

“No impunity”

“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 none,” European 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.



Tarabella supports his waiver of immunity

"Since the start of this case, Marc Tarabella has repeated that he is at the disposal of justice and has even asked to be heard quickly in order to be able to defend himself", reacted his lawyer, Maxim Töller, on Monday.

“He also said that he would not hide behind his parliamentary immunity, having nothing to reproach himself for.

He therefore supports his waiver of immunity if it is requested,” he added.

As of December 12, the parliamentary group of the Social Democrats had decided to suspend Andrea Cozzolino from his responsibility as coordinator, while Marc Tarabella had himself suspended his membership of the group.

“If the embezzlement is proven, we will terminate the membership of the persons concerned.

S & D, which supports the ongoing investigation, will file a civil action and will consider legal proceedings “against those involved, the group said in a statement at the time.

In the process, the two MEPs had also been suspended by their respective national parties, the Belgian Socialist Party and the Italian Democratic Party.

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  • Justice

  • European Parliament

  • Belgium

  • Eva Kaili

  • Qatar