The Greek Vice President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, was among four people that have been arrested following an investigation into suspected bribery at the European Parliament by a Gulf state on Sunday, according to Belgian newspapers L’Echo and Soir.
Belgian police are investigating allegations that figures working on behalf of Qatar have paid European politicians huge bribes to influence the Brussels policy debate.
Kaili, who has spoken publicly in support of Qatar’s recent labour reforms, was one of four suspects to have been charged and detained.
Two more have been released and the house of at least one more MEP has been searched by investigators.
The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office did not identify the four by name, but a judicial source confirmed to AFP that Kaili was among those charged.
According to Le Soir and the magazine Knack, Kaili’s partner Francesco Giorgi, a parliamentary assistant, was also detained on Friday and was under arrest, as well as the former Socialist and Democrats MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, while a Brussels lobbyist identified as ‘F’ remains in prison.
A Qatari government spokesperson told AFP: “We are not aware of any details of an investigation. Any claims of misconduct by the State of Qatar are gravely misinformed.”
The country “operates in full compliance with international laws and regulations,” he added.
Ms Kaili, one of 14 elected vice presidents, has been suspended from the Greek parliament’s Socialists and Democrats Group and expelled from the Greek centre-left Pasok party.
READ MORE: Greece’s Eva Kaili elected Vice-President of the European Parliament.
