The Brussels Court of First Instance has decided prolong pretrial detention for at least one month for the former president of the European Parliament, the Greek social democrat Eva Kaili. Kaili was arrested on December 9 for her involvement in a bribery scheme orchestrated by Qatar in the European Parliament.
“In the framework of a large-scale investigation carried out by the federal prosecutor’s office and the police regarding alleged acts of criminal organization, corruption and money laundering, a person appeared this morning before the council chamber of the Court of First Instance of Brussels In a car, the council chamber has extended EK’s preventive detention by one month“, the prosecution has reported.
During the hearing held this Thursday, the former vice president has pleaded not guilty and has asked for her release under electronic surveillance. A request that the Belgian judges have denied. Kaili is accused of corruption, money laundering and belonging to a criminal organization.
[La exvicepresidenta de la Eurocámara confiesa que pidió a su padre esconder el dinero de Qatar]
“We have requested that Ms Kaili be subject to an electronic surveillance regime with a bracelet. You are actively collaborating with the investigation. She denies any corruption on her part,” explained her lawyer, André Risopoulos, at the end of the hearing.
The lawyer has complained about the abundant leaks that have occurred in this case. “What do I think of leaks? I have never seen to such a degree that vfrontal violations to the secrecy of instruction. I’m not the only one who thinks so. The attorney general has launched an investigation in this regard,” Risopoulos said.
As published in the Belgian press, Kaili herself confessed to the judge on the day of her arrest that it was she who asked her father to hide a suitcase full of money allegedly coming from Qatari bribes.
She also admitted that she knew about her husband’s relationship, Francesco Giorgiowith the alleged leader of the plot, the former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeriand that he knew that briefcases of money passed through his apartment. Both Giorgi and Panzeri also remain in pretrial detention.
The arrest of Kaili’s father red-handed -when he was trying to flee the Sofitel hotel in the European quarter of Brussels loaded with a cabin suitcase full of 50-euro bills- became the main blow of the massive Belgian police operation against corruption in the Eurochamber.
As it is a flagrant crime, the vice president of the European Parliament was left without immunity and the security forces were able to search his home, where they found more money and gifts. The father was released after testifying before the judge. In the cabin suitcase there were around 750,000 euros, while another 150,000 euros in cash were found in Kaili’s apartment.
