EU Parliament bids to lift immunity for two MEPs in corruption probe

The president of the European Parliament has launched an urgent procedure to waive the immunity of two MEPs following a request from Belgian judicial authorities investigating a major corruption scandal rocking EU politics.

The European Parliament said on Monday that President Roberta Metsola asked all services and committees to give the procedure priority, with the aim of completing it by February 13.

“From the very first moment the European Parliament has done everything in its power to assist in investigations and we will continue to make sure that there will be no impunity,” Ms Metsola said. “Those responsible will find this Parliament on the side of the law. Corruption cannot pay and we will do everything to fight it.”

The EU Parliament press service did not identify the two MEPs. According to two people familiar with the case who were not allowed to speak publicly because the investigation is ongoing, they are Italian Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian Marc Tarabella.

Both men are members of the Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats group. Mr Tarabella, whose home was raided last month, has denied wrongdoing. The two were asked for comment.

A third member of Parliament, Eva Kaili, has already been charged in relation to the scandal, which allegedly involves Qatari and Moroccan officials suspected of influencing economic and political decisions with gifts and money.

Prosecutors accuse Kaili of corruption, membership in a criminal organisation and money laundering. A Greek socialist MEP, Kaili has been in custody since December 9. Her partner, Francesco Giorgi, an adviser at the European Parliament, is being held on the same charges.

Kaili was relieved of her duties of parliament vice-president after being charged. She would have normally enjoyed immunity from prosecution but was brought before a judge after Belgian police launched raids on premises across Brussels last month and large sums of cash were reportedly found at her home.

Kaili and Giorgi are suspected of working with Giorgi’s one-time boss, Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former EU politician. According to arrest warrants, Panzeri “is suspected of intervening politically with members working at the European Parliament for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco, against payment”.

The Parliament has halted work on files involving Qatar as it investigates what impact the cash-and-gifts-for-influence bribery scandal might have had. Qatar vehemently denies involvement and Morocco has yet to respond to allegations that its ambassador to Poland might have been involved.

Belgian prosecutors are also seeking the handover of Panzeri’s wife and daughter from Italy, where they were put under house arrest on similar charges.

A fourth suspect in Belgium — Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, secretary-general of the non-governmental organisation No Peace Without Justice — was also charged over the affair.

The scandal came to public attention after police launched more than 20 raids, mostly in Belgium but also in Italy. Hundreds of thousands of euros were found at a home and in a suitcase at a hotel in Brussels. Mobile phones and computer equipment and data were seized.