Two MEPs have had their legal immunity lifted by European lawmakers after Belgian authorities requested an investigation into a corruption scandal that has rocked the European Parliament.
Italian Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian Marc Trabella deny wrongdoing.
The Qatar Gate case came to light when a Greek lawmaker and three other suspects were arrested on suspicion of corruption and money laundering.
One of the suspects then agreed to “tell all” as part of a plea deal.
Pier Antonio Panzeri is accused of leading a network that took bribes from Qatar and Morocco in exchange for influencing the European Parliament. Some €1.5m (£1.3m) in cash was recovered in raids in Brussels and Italy.
Both Qatar and Morocco have strongly denied allegations that they tried to influence MEPs. But prosecutors said Mr Panzeri admitted “criminal responsibility”.
Mr Tarabella’s home was raided last month after Belgian police detained four suspects. Prosecutors then asked Parliament to waive immunity for the prosecution as well as for Mr Cozzolino. Both men were members of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats group in parliament.
The votes were cast in seconds with little ceremony as lawmakers opened the European Parliament session on Thursday morning. MEPs raised their hands as the details were read.
Mark Tarabella attended the vote himself, walking past a throng of journalists on his way into the chamber. He later told me he had voted to waive his immunity to “answer questions from investigators and help authorities shed light on the matter.”
According to a parliamentary report on Mr Tarabella, investigators suspect him of supporting “certain positions within the European Parliament in favor of a third country in return for cash payments” for two years. Testimony against him suggested multiple payments totaling €120,00-€140,000, the report added.
“Of course I deny any wrongdoing,” he told JEE News. Asked if he had ever taken money to influence the proceedings of the European Parliament, he said: “Never in my life!”
Investigators were cited in a parliamentary report on his Italian colleague, accusing him of participating in a criminal organization and money laundering. Mr Cozzolino’s lawyers said last month that he was innocent and had carried out political activities “in an independent and transparent manner, unrelated to the investigation of these crimes”.
He resigned last month as head of the parliamentary delegation that works with countries in the West, including Morocco.
Prosecutors said last month that Mr. Panzeri, an Italian former MEP, had agreed to provide details about how the scam worked and who was involved in exchange for a reduced sentence of one year. He ran an NGO in Brussels called Fight Impunity.
His wife and daughter were released from custody last week as part of a plea deal.
Three other accused are in jail on suspicion of corruption and money laundering:
- Greek MEP Eva Kaili was stripped of her role as one of the 14 vice presidents of the parliament last month but denies involvement in the affair
- Her partner, former parliamentary aide Francesco Giorgi, is reported to have partly confessed to his alleged role
- Niccolò Figà -Talamanca, who runs an NGO from the same building as Mr Panzeri, has also denied all knowledge of the scandal.
Parliamentary immunity means MEPs cannot be subject to any form of inquiry, detention or legal proceedings because of opinions expressed or votes cast in their capacity as an MEP. But it can be waived, if requested by a national authority.
