The deposed Vice President of the EU Parliament, Eva Kaili (44), has nothing to do with the money seized from her. That’s the defense strategy. She “didn’t know about the existence of this money,” her lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told AFP news agency on Tuesday.
The 44-year-old was “innocent”. Only her partner, the Italian Francesco Giorgi, who was also arrested on corruption charges, could “provide answers about the existence of this money”.
Since the arrest of Kailis and other suspects last Friday, the European Parliament has been rocked by the huge corruption scandal. On Tuesday, the European Parliament unseated the Greek MEP as vice-president by an overwhelming majority.
Found 150,000 euros in the apartment alone
Kaili is suspected of being paid by Qatar to defend its interests. According to Belgian judicial circles, 150,000 euros were found in her apartment in Brussels alone.
Kaili and three other suspects were taken into custody by the Belgian authorities on Sunday. They are charged with “membership in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption”. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday to decide whether they will remain in custody until their trial begins.
Qatar and Morocco involved
According to a report, in addition to Qatar, Morocco is apparently also involved in the corruption scandal. Arrested ex-EU MP Pier Antonio Panzeri is accused of receiving money from Morocco, the “mirror” reported, citing internal documents from the Belgian investigators.
Accordingly, two relatives of Panzeris allegedly helped transport “gifts” given to them by the Moroccan ambassador to an Eastern EU country.
Panzeri reportedly had official ties to Morocco during his time as a member of the European Parliament, when he chaired the delegation for relations with the North African Maghreb countries. (AFP/euc)