European Union Corruption scandal in the European Parliament: the protagonists of 'Qatargate'
Patio Global The 'Qatargate' judge: a hero that Belgium does not deserve, but needs
'Qatargate' Secret services, 'black cards', marked banknotes and the evidence that points to Morocco in the European Parliament corruption scandal
After a month behind bars, the boss has sung.
Pier Antonio Panzeri
, the former Italian deputy who led the corruption scheme within the European Parliament, in the case known as
Qatargate
, reached an agreement on Tuesday with the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office
to confess all his crimes, reveal the
modus operandi
of the criminal organization
, breaking down all the ramifications and revealing the involvement of other countries in exchange for serving a reduced sentence.
Panzeri is, from today, a repentant.
Literally.
As explained by the Prosecutor's Office in a statement, he and his lawyers have signed a Memorandum stipulating each step.
"This is the second time in Belgian judicial history, since the implementation of the so-called
pentiti
law (
repentant
, in reference to the Italian law that allowed in-depth investigations into the Mafia) that this procedure has resulted in the signing of a memorandum," it read.
Panzeri, who lost his seat in 2019, chaired an NGO ironically called Combat Impunity.
Through her, and using his contacts and influences,
he built an organization that accepted money and gifts from countries like
Qatar
or
Morocco
to influence the decisions of the European Parliament.
.
The Italian has been in pretrial detention since December, as was the one who was his main assistant, Francesco Giorgi, and the latter's wife, Eva Kaili, an MEP and until the scandal broke, vice president of the chamber.
They are also accompanied by Alessandro Figá Talamanca, a lobbyist, head of another NGO that shared a building with the first, and who, although he was provisionally released in the first instance, was jailed again after an appeal by the public prosecutor's office.
On the list of suspects there are two names that appear repeatedly: the also MEPs Marc Tarabella, Belgian, and the Italian Andrea Cozzolino, for whom Giorgi worked until his arrest.
In December, law enforcement searched the former's home, but found no cash.
The authorities have sent a request to the European Parliament to lift their immunity
, since local law only allows arresting or searching deputies caught "in flagrante delicto."
Which is what happened with Kaili, when her father was discovered trying to run away with a suitcase loaded with bills.
As reported by the newspaper
L'Echo
, Panzeri would have declared to the investigators that he
delivered more than 120,000 euros in cash to Tarabella for his help
in cases related to Qatar, according to the documentation delivered for the request.
The latter would also have signed an agreement with the Belgian federal prosecutor in which he agrees to cooperate with justice.
"Mr. Tarabella is very clear: he has never received any promise, any money, any gift, in any way, in exchange for supporting Qatar in any way," says his lawyer in statements to
La Libre Belgique
.
The
pentito
, detained since December 10 and accused of being the person most responsible for a plot of money laundering and "active and passive" public corruption, has agreed to confess, collaborate and reveal the details of the "
modus operandi
" , the financial arrangements with third parties, the established financial structures, the beneficiaries of the plot and the perks offered, the participation of known or not yet known people in the file and the identity of the people who admit to having corrupted," according to the statement.
In exchange,
Panzeri will go to prison, but with a reduced sentence
, will pay a fine and suffer the confiscation of all the seized assets, currently valued at one million euros.
The siege had tightened on him and the evidence is overwhelming, so he has tried a sane decision that also frees his wife and daughter.
Belgium
has asked Italy to extradite him.
According to
Le Soir
and La
Repubblica
, which have had access to transcripts of recordings made by the Belgian security services, this same summer the family of the former deputy was in Morocco collecting perks.
On June 4, 2022, Panzeri contacted them, both traveling in the African country.
"Everything went well, they gave us VIP treatment, we went to have a coffee at Atmoun's house (Moroccan diplomat cited in the file)...", says Mrs. Colleoni.
Panzeri asks directly: "Have you seen the boxes?"
"Yes, views!"
She then threw some products in the bags before leaving!
Hahaha!".
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Articles Pablo R. Suanzes