The Belgian MEP accused of the ringleader of the ‘Qatargate’ bribery scheme has been arrested

BRUSSELS, 10 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Belgian Socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, whose immunity was suspended by the European Parliament last week at the request of the Belgian court, has been detained this Friday for questioning in relation to the corruption plot known as ‘Qatargate’ for the alleged payment of bribery by Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania to gain political and financial weight in the European Union.

Tarabella, whom the considered leader of the corrupt network, the former Italian socialist MEP Antonio Panzeri, points out as receiving between 120,000 and 140,000 euros in exchange for softening his position on the World Cup in Qatar, has defended since the scandal broke in December who has not participated in such corruption.

However, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has reported his arrest to give a statement over the next few hours before the judge investigating the case, who will later decide on his situation.

Once the European parliamentary immunity that prevented the authorities from acting against him had been suspended, the investigators carried out several searches on Friday morning, including one in Liège to locate a safe belonging to Tarabella.

In the course of this action, as specified by the Prosecutor’s Office in a statement, “several offices” have also been registered in the town hall of the municipality of Anthisnes of which the Belgian socialist is mayor.

Already in December, when the Police made the first arrests in relation to the bribery network, Tarabella’s apartment was searched by the investigators, who found nothing relevant although they did seize computer material.

The vice president of the European Parliament dismissed as a result of her arrest by ‘Qatargate’, Eva Kaili, her partner and MEP advisor, Francesco Giorgi, and two other people have been charged with participating in criminal organization, money laundering and corruption.

One of the defendants, the former MEP Panzeri, has reached an agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office to confess all the details of the plot and point out those who collected the bribes in exchange for a reduction in the sentences requested against him from five to one. year in prison.