In the investigation into alleged acts of corruption in the European Parliament by the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office, MEP Marc Tarabella is among those who have been charged. He denies any involvement and claims to be innocent. Others who have been charged in the case include Pier Antonio Panzeri, Eva Kaili, Francesco Giorgi, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, and Luca Vinsentini. MEP Tarabella was arrested two months following the others. Panzeri, who admitted to receiving money from Qatar to influence decisions made by the European Parliament and also charged MEP Tarabella, obtained the status of repentant and is colluding with the investigation. The investigation is being led by Michel Claise and targets attempts by Qatar and other countries to influence decision-making in the European Parliament through large sums of money and gifts.
The MEP is charged, among other people, in the investigation by the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office into alleged acts of corruption within the European Parliament. Marc Tarabella claims to be innocent and denies any involvement in this system of corruption.
Several people have been charged in this case, including Pier Antonio Panzeri, former MEP and founder of the NGO Fight Impunity, Eva Kaili, the former Vice-President of the European Parliament, Francesco Giorgi, her companion and former Panzeri parliamentary assistant, as well as lobbyist Niccolo Figa-Talamanca and Luca Vinsentini, former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. MEP Marc Tarabella is also charged, following being arrested on February 11, 2023, two months following the others.
Qatargate: Marc Tarabella was to receive 250,000 euros, according to Panzeri
Luca Visentini was quickly released following his interrogation, then, on February 3, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca was also released. Francesco Giorgi obtained on February 23 to carry out his detention under the modality of electronic surveillance. In addition, Panzeri obtained the status of repentant on January 17, and thus undertook to collaborate actively with the investigation. He admitted having received money from Qatar in particular, to favor this country in the decisions taken by the European Parliament. He, among other things, charged Marc Tarabella, claiming to have given him a sum of around 140,000 euros for his “help” in this criminal project.
The investigation in this file is led by the federal prosecutor’s office and entrusted to the examining magistrate Michel Claise. It targets attempts by Qatar to influence the economic and political decision-making of the European Parliament. This Middle Eastern state would have paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to people occupying a political or strategic position within the European hemicycle. Morocco also appeared in the survey, as did Mauritania.
The investigation into allegations of corruption within the European Parliament continues, with several people being charged including MEP Marc Tarabella. Tarabella denies any involvement and maintains his innocence. The case, known as Qatargate, focuses on attempts by Qatar to influence decision-making within the European Parliament through the payment of large sums of money and gifts. This is a matter of serious concern and the investigation will likely shed further light on the extent of corruption within the EU political system.