A Greek lawmaker indicted in connection with a corruption scheme involving Qatar remains in custody after her court hearing was postponed to Wednesday.
Deputy President of the European Parliament, Eva Kairi, was scheduled to appear before a judge in Brussels along with three others. Her attorney, André Lithopoulos, said her hearing was rescheduled for December 22.
Kairi is accused of a crime bribery To influence European policy in favor of the Qatari regime. She was taken into police custody after investigators raided her home and said they found her “bag of cash.”
Two suspects, including Kairi’s partner, parliamentary adviser Francesco Giorgi, and Pia Antonio Panzeri, a former parliamentarian and founder of the non-profit campaign group, were placed in preventive detention Wednesday after court hearings. It was
Qatar denies reports it colluded with Iran to suppress dissent at World Cup
Greek politician and Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kairi, speaks at the European Book Awards ceremony in Brussels on December 7, 2022. Concerns” and called for the creation of an independent ethics body covering all institutions in the bloc.
(AP)
Police have conducted more than 20 raids, mainly in Belgium but also in Italy. This is part of an investigation into allegations of bribery for political gain. “People in political and/or strategic positions within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence parliamentary decisions,” the prosecutor said in a statement. ” he said.
Authorities have not identified the Gulf states suspected of providing cash or gifts to European Parliament officials, but several members have linked the investigation to Qatar, which is hosting the FIFA World Cup.
“The State of Qatar categorically rejects any attempt to link it with the allegation of wrongdoing. The association of the reported allegations with the Qatari government is baseless and grossly misleading,” said the Qatari Embassy in Washington, DC. Officials previously told Fox News Digital. .
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Cros said relations between the European Union and countries involved in bribery schemes could be affected.
In this photo provided by the Belgian Federal Judicial Police on Wednesday, part of the €1.5 million found and seized by Belgian police in Brussels.
(AP)
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“You are trying to influence our decision-making with a bribe, but if it is confirmed that it is true and it relates to a particular country, I doubt it will affect the relationship. No. “First of all, the fault lies with the person taking the bribe. Let’s be clear about that. But it’s not just them. There are always two sides to this.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
