On February 16, the Brussels council chamber decided to keep them in detention, but the two concerned appealed, so that the indictment chamber will consider their request.
Five people are currently charged in this case: 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 parliamentary assistant to Panzeri, lobbyist Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, and MEP Marc Tarabella. All have been placed under arrest warrant. At the beginning of February, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca was released, and Francesco Giorgi also a few days later, on February 23. In addition, Panzeri obtained the status of repentant in mid-January, and thus undertook to collaborate actively in the investigation.
Qatargate: CSC and FGTB demand dismissal of Luca Visentini from the International Trade Union Confederation
The investigation 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 investigation, with a possible attempt at corruption led by its intelligence agency, the DGED, and by its ambassador to Poland, Abderrahim Atmoun.