Eva Kaili (archive picture from 2011)
Photo:
Vladimir Rys/ Getty Images
In the course of the investigation into alleged corruption by Qatar, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, has apparently also been targeted by the Belgian police.
The news agencies AFP and dpa reported on Friday evening, citing circles familiar with the investigation, that Kaili had been arrested.
There was no confirmation of this at first.
Other media reported that Kaili was questioned by the police.
Kaili's Greek party has already reacted: the Greek Socialist Party (Pasok) announced in the evening that the Greek MP had been expelled "after the latest developments and the investigations by the Belgian authorities into the corruption of European officials".
There had previously been four arrests in the Belgian capital in the course of the investigation.
According to the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office, a total of 16 searches took place in Brussels on Friday.
The police confiscated data carriers and mobile phones as well as cash in the amount of around 600,000 euros.
Accordingly, it is determined because of “gang corruption and money laundering”.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office is responsible for prosecuting organized crime and terrorism in Belgium.
The authority had confirmed the first four arrests, but had not given any further information.
The investigations are about alleged efforts by a Gulf state to "influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by paying significant sums of money or making significant gifts".
The public prosecutor's office did not say which Gulf state is allegedly trying to influence parliament.
According to research by the newspaper "Le Soir" and the magazine "Knack", it is the Emirate of Qatar.
Kaili only visited Qatar in late October and early November, meeting with Prime Minister Chalid bin Chalifa bin Abdulasis Al Thani and other senior government officials, Qatar's state news agency reported.
It is also said to have been about the situation on the country's job market, which was heavily criticized for deaths on the construction sites of the soccer World Cup venues.
According to the reports, however, Kaili emphasized during her visit that Qatar had "fulfilled all the necessary requirements in the area of the labor market" and "quickly implemented" reforms.
Kaili also emphasized that the European Parliament was "very interested in strengthening relations with Qatar".
At least as remarkable was a statement by Kaili in the European Parliament at the end of November, just a few days before her trip to the Gulf state.
Qatar plays "a pioneering role in workers' rights," said the Greek: "Today, the World Cup in Qatar is proof that sports diplomacy can bring about historic change in a country."
Kaili's parliamentary office could not immediately be reached for comment.
A spokesman for Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola declined to comment on the ongoing investigation.
Group supports thorough investigation
Kaili has been an MEP since 2014 and one of 14 Vice-Presidents of Parliament since 2022.
From 2004 to 2007, according to her CV on the parliament website, she was a newsreader and journalist, and later also a PR consultant in Greece.
The social democratic S&D group, to which Pasok belongs, expressed in a statement "appalled by the allegations of corruption".
The group has “zero tolerance for corruption” and supports a thorough investigation: “In view of the seriousness of the allegations, we request that work on all dossiers and plenary votes on the Gulf States be suspended until the relevant authorities provide relevant information and clarifications, in particular on visa liberalization and scheduled visits.«
mbe/sak/AFP/dpa
