© European parliament (audiovisual service)
Eva Kylie
A Belgian judge ruled on Friday that European lawmaker Eva Kylie will remain in custody for another two months as an investigation into corruption charges continues, Archyde.com reported.
Kylie, a 44-year-old Greek socialist, was stripped of her post as vice-president of the European Parliament in the case late last year following she was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar to advance her interests in European institutions – in one of the most the major corruption scandals affecting the EU.
Kylie has been in jail since early December and her lawyers have asked the court to release her with an electronic bracelet, as was done for her partner – also an employee of the European Parliament. Her lawyers pointed out that in the three months she has been behind bars she has only been able to see her two-year-old daughter twice and urged magistrates to allow the mother and child to be together.
The Belgian MEP Mark Tarabella, whose immunity was lifted in February by the European Parliament at the request of the corruption scandal investigators, also remains behind bars. Tarabella was detained at the end of February and according to Friday’s court decision, he will remain in custody for another month.
Belgian prosecutors have accused Kylie and Tarabella of participating in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption.
Both Kylie and Tarabella deny wrongdoing.
MEPs plead not guilty to the corruption scandal in the European Parliament
The investigation into the scandal, known as Cattargate, accelerated following former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, believed to be the mastermind behind the criminal scheme, struck a deal with justice to reveal all those involved in exchange for a reduction in his own sentence.
Four people were detained at the beginning of December in Brussels following searches of their homes, where 1.5 million euros were found. The investigation suggests that World Cup host Qatar showered them with money and gifts to influence decision-making. Qatar denies the allegations.
Suitcases of money: What we know (and don’t know) regarding the corruption scandal in the European Parliament
