BRUSSELS, Dec. 21 () –
The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy, Josep Borrell, has discussed with the Qatari Foreign Minister, Mohamed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, the alleged plot of bribes from the Gulf country to MEPs and parliamentary assistants to gain political and economic weight in the continent, assuring that the ongoing investigations should clarify this case.
As part of his visit to Jordan to participate in a forum focused on the Middle East, the head of European diplomacy met for the first time with a Qatari representative since the scandal broke out involving the dismissed vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili.
“We discussed regional and bilateral issues, among others the accusations against members and staff of the European Parliament. We agreed on the need for the ongoing investigations to provide total clarity,” Borrell said in a message on social networks about the meeting with Al Thani.
For his part, the Qatari Foreign Minister has insisted that the judicial process must be respected and “not anticipate the results of the investigations” and has denounced the role of the media in pointing fingers at Qatar. “I have affirmed our rejection of the misleading media leaks about Qatar”, he has expressed in another message.
The whole day in which Eva Kaili confessed that she knew about the large amounts of cash that were in her house and that she asked her father to keep a part, but she did not admit her participation in the corruption, of which her partner, Francesco Giorgi, also arrested, has assumed the burden.
The Greek Social Democrat has been in prison since her arrest more than a week ago and a hearing will be held this Thursday at the Court of First Instance in Brussels to decide whether she should continue in prison, as the judicial authorities have already ordered for two other defendants, the Giorgi himself and the former Socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri.
