The European Parliament on Thursday lifted the immunity of lawmakers Andrea Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella, paving the best way for Belgian prosecutors to interrogate them about their involvement within the Qatargate corruption scandal that has shaken Brussels to its core.
The transfer — accepted by a present of fingers — is the most recent twist within the evolving scandal involving allegations that international locations together with Qatar and Morocco might have illegally influenced the Parliament’s work.
Cozzolino and Tarabella are underneath suspicion of great offenses that could possibly be tantamount to corruption, cash laundering and taking part in a felony group, in line with the 2 immunity-waiving stories MEPs additionally accepted.
Tarabella, a Belgian MEP, and Cozzolino, who’s Italian, have each strongly denied any wrongdoing. Each lawmakers are members of the Socialists & Democrats group.
Tarabella was bodily current on Thursday to forged his vote on the Parliament in Brussels. Parliament staffers jostled with camera-carrying journalists exterior the chamber as he made his method inside, the place he raised his hand, voting in favor of stripping his personal immunity.
“I repeat that I’m innocent in this affair and now it’s up to the judiciary to question me,” Tarabella advised reporters after the vote, saying he’s “happy” in regards to the authorized immunity being lifted.
Cozzolino advised POLITICO from Italy: “I’m not worried at all, my availability is total and amply documented.”
EU lawmakers take pleasure in immunity from prosecution whereas serving in Parliament. The method of stripping that safety takes a number of weeks, involving quite a few steps.
A spokesperson for the Belgian prosecutor’s workplace advised POLITICO that native authorities can now deal with the “involved people” like some other Belgian resident.
Brussels has been filled with fearful chatter in latest weeks about who the police might ensnare subsequent after Pier Antonio Panzeri — the previous MEP on the middle of the scandal who was arrested — made a plea cut price with Belgian federal prosecutors, vowing to call names.
In keeping with the Parliament stories, Cozzolino is accused of accepting cash to block resolutions damaging the pursuits of non-EU international locations. The lawmaker chaired the Parliament’s delegation with Maghreb international locations, together with Morocco, and was the Socialist group’s prime MEP on human rights resolutions.
Tarabella is suspected of taking as much as €140,000 in bribes from Panzeri to undertake sure positions in favor of non-EU governments on the European Parliament, the stories additionally confirmed. He served as a vice president of the Parliament’s delegation to Gulf international locations earlier than stepping down earlier this month.
These allegations are much like the suspicions swirling round others embroiled within the Qatargate scandal.
Already, Greek MEP Eva Kaili — who has been in jail for nearly two months dealing with corruption fees — has been stripped of her position as a Parliament vice-president and booted from the S&D group. Francesco Giorgi, Kaili’s companion and Panzeri’s parliamentary assistant, can also be detained on the identical fees, as is human rights NGO chief Niccolò Figà-Talamanca.
Cozzolino and Tarabella have additionally each been excluded as S&D members throughout the felony investigation.
A Parliament official stated the establishment has not obtained some other requests from the Belgian authorities to carry the immunity of MEPs amid the Qatargate investigation.
Camille Gijs and Pieter Haeck contributed reporting.
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