The 'Qatargate' grows with the request to lift the immunity of two MEPs

The president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, has announced on Monday the opening of an urgent procedure to lift the immunity of two MEPs suspected of being involved in

, the scandal of alleged bribery of influential personalities in Brussels that has shaken the European institutions and that the former Greek vice-president of the institution, Eva Kaili, and a former European parliamentarian, Pier Antonio Panzeri, among others, are already in pretrial detention.

Community sources have confirmed to this newspaper that the requests, sent by the Belgian justice, responsible for the investigation of

, affect the Belgian Socialist MEP Marc Tarabella and the Italian Andrea Cozzolino.

The names of both had appeared since the scandal broke at the top of the list of suspects, due to their closeness to Panzeri, considered the main person responsible for the bribery scheme that countries such as Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania allegedly paid to achieve policies favorable of the European Parliament.

In fact, Tarabella's home was searched as soon as the case started, on December 9.

Still enjoying parliamentary immunity, Metsola had to urgently return to Brussels to be present at the house search of the MEP, who until now has denied any involvement in

“From the very beginning, the European Parliament has done everything in its power to assist in the investigations.

We are going to continue to make sure that there is no impunity ”, Metsola declared in a statement in which he announced the start of the procedure, which could last several weeks.

The first official step will be taken on January 16, when Metsola, as indicated by the protocol in these cases, announces the plea of ​​the Belgian justice before the plenary.

This is the "first opportunity" on the legislative calendar, according to his office.

Next, the demand will be placed in the hands of the Committee on Legal Affairs of the European Parliament, chaired by the Spanish Adrián Vázquez (Ciudadanos), which is the body that must initiate a process, which includes the appointment of a rapporteur and hearings of those affected. before a report is issued to be sent back to plenary.

This is the one who will have the final voice (and vote, by simple majority) on whether or not to lift immunity.

Metsola has indicated that it wants the entire process to be completed by February 13, for which it has asked all the services and committees involved to "give priority to this procedure."

“Those responsible [of

] are going to see that Parliament takes the side of the law.

Corruption cannot be profitable and we are going to do everything possible to fight it, ”Metsola stressed in his statement.

A firm position that he has reiterated on social networks.

“There will be no impunity.

Nothing”, stressed the Maltese, who at the beginning of the scandal promised a “deep reform” to improve transparency in the Eurochamber.

Metsola will present its proposal “in the coming weeks”.

This will include a "reform of the current rules" and the "improvement of internal control systems", has advanced the office of the president of the European Parliament.

The proposal, to which EL PAÍS had access, will consist of a plan of ten measures to combat corruption that proposes, for example, more protection mechanisms for those who report irregularities within the institution, a new "mandatory transparency registry" of all meetings with countries outside the EU or impose a control on the contacts that MEPs have with pressure groups and organizations from countries outside the EU.

Four people remain in pretrial detention accused of corruption, money laundering and belonging to a criminal organization for

.

This is Panzeri, a socialist MEP until 2019 and later founder of an NGO in Brussels, Fight Impunity, which is suspected of being used as a cover to cover up bribery.

Panzeri was detained at the start of the operation, on December 9, when Belgian police made a total of six arrests and seized €1.5 million in cash.

In addition to Panzeri, the parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi, as well as his partner and still MEP, the Greek Eva Kaili, until now the highest-profile European Parliament figure involved in the plot, remain in preventive detention.

Kaili, who was one of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament, was able to be arrested despite her immunity for having been caught in "flagrant crime", one of the reasons that allow a deputy to be arrested.

The European Parliament removed her as vice president three days after her arrest.

In prison awaiting trial is also another Italian, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, who directed another NGO closely linked to Panzeri, No Peace Without Justice.

Belgian justice has so far refused to release any of the four defendants.

In fact, last week,

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