The EU corruption scandal still imprisons alleged mastermind Antonio Panzeri and former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili. In addition, the responsible chamber of the Brussels court decided on Thursday evening that the pre-trial detention of the Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella will be maintained, a spokesperson for the public prosecutor’s office confirmed.
The bribery scandal, which became public at the end of 2022, concerns the alleged influence of the governments of Qatar and Morocco on decisions of the EU parliament. The prosecution has charged the suspects with corruption, money laundering and membership of a criminal organization.
Kaili’s lawyer Sven Mary had called on Thursday for his client to be released, possibly with conditions such as wearing an ankle bracelet. According to the Belga news agency, he spoke of a “difficult situation” for his client. “She has been separated from her child for more than two months.” Tarabella’s lawyer also called for his client’s release.
The third suspect, Panzeri, whose pretrial detention was extended on Thursday, signed an agreement with the prosecutor’s office in January in which he pledged to fully contribute to clarifying the scandal. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
