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Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella
Photo: VALERIA MONGELLI / AFP
According to Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, he was invited by Qatar.
In February 2020, he made a trip to Qatar paid for by the emirate and did not report it to the European Parliament as required, said his lawyer Maxim Töller on Sunday on the Belgian broadcaster RTL.
Socialist MEP Tarabella is said to be a close confidant of former Italian MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri, who is at the center of the EU corruption scandal over alleged interference by World Cup hosts Qatar.
At Panzeri, 600,000 euros in cash had been confiscated.
Missed the trip disclosure deadline
Tarabella has denied any involvement in the case but has now admitted the trip to Qatar.
He had been invited to a congress and the organizers had covered the costs, his lawyer said.
An employee reminded him to disclose the trip, but the deadline had already expired, said Toeller.
It is "not illegal to have an organization pay for a trip," said the lawyer.
Tarabella traveled to Qatar to visit stadiums being built for the World Cup and "meet workers."
Panzeri may have influenced Tarabella
In November, Tarabella highlighted the "positive development" of human rights in Qatar in the European Parliament - in the name of "Realpolitik" and as "encouragement", as his lawyer said.
It is also possible that the Italian Panzeri advised his friend Tarabella "to say something specific" without him being aware that the Italian MP "moneyed their friendship," said the lawyer.
On Wednesday, Belgian MEP Marie Arena admitted that she had not reported a business trip paid for by Qatar in May 2022.
She blamed her secretariat and a "complicated document."
Arena then gave up her chair of the Human Rights Committee.
On Monday, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, wants to introduce stricter rules against bribery.
Their 14-point anti-corruption plan includes disclosing meetings between MPs and employees with lobbyists.
In addition, former MPs should no longer be given a permanently valid access card to Parliament and should also be allowed to give other people access.
nck/jpa/AFP
