Me Mary said he will not comment until Thursday, the day of his client’s appearance before the Brussels council chamber.
Eva Kaili was arrested on December 9, along with her father, her companion, Francesco Giorgi, former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, lobbyist Niccolo Figa-Talamanca and trade unionist Luca Visentini. Eva Kaili’s father and Luca Visentini were released following a hearing, but Eva Kaili, Francesco Giorgi, Pier Antonio Panzeri and Nicolo Figa-Talamanca were placed under arrest warrants. The first three are still in preventive detention, while Figa-Talamanca has been released.
Not the only accused
Since Saturday, Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella has also been charged in this case and placed under an arrest warrant. Panzeri, who has in the meantime obtained the status of repentant and has thus pledged to actively collaborate in the investigation, said he had given an envelope in the amount of 140,000 euros in cash to Tarabella so that he supports positions in favor of Qatar. The MEP denies having been corrupted.
As for Eva Kaili, she also denies any involvement in such acts of corruption.
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.
