EU Assembly removes immunity from two MPs linked to scandal

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union Parliament on Thursday stripped the protective immunity of two MPs linked to one of the biggest corruption scandals in the bloc’s history, paving the way for questioning by Belgian investigators.

Hands up, the Assembly voted overwhelmingly to lift the parliamentary immunity of Belgian MP Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino. Both men have previously stated through their lawyers that they are ready to cooperate with the Belgian authorities.

Live television images showed that Tarabella had voted to remove his immunity.

Both deny any connection to the scandal, in which Qatari and Moroccan officials are suspected of paying bribes to influence decisions in the European Parliament. Qatar and Morocco also vehemently deny involvement, but the assembly has suspended work on all Qatar-related files.

According to a report prepared for the lifting of Taraballa’s immunity, the Belgian investigation shows that he “may have been involved in acts of corruption involving the intervention of one or more foreign states in order to influence the debates and decisions taken in the European Parliament. ”

It stated that “the evidence against him suggests that such payments were made to him on several occasions, totaling between EUR 120,000 and EUR 140,000 (USD 132,000 to USD 154,000).

Cozzolino’s report states that the Italian EU MP is “suspected of having participated since 2019 in an agreement with others on cooperation in defending the interests of foreign states in the European Parliament.”

This appears to have been done, at least in part, “by obstructing the adoption of parliamentary resolutions that could harm the interests of these states in exchange for sums of money,” the report says.

Tarabella and Cozzolino belong to the centre-left Socialist and Democratic Party (S&D), the second-largest political group in the assembly and the one most affected by allegations of corruption.

The story goes on

The scandal erupted in early December after authorities carried out a series of raids in Brussels and Italy, confiscating hundreds of thousands of euros.

Four people were charged with corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization. This is S&D MP Eva Kylie, who was vice president of the assembly until charges were filed; her partner and parliamentarian assistant Francesco Giorgi; former S&D MP Pier Antonio Panzeri and head of the Niccolò Figa-Talamanca charity group.

Panzeri has since reached an agreement with Belgian prosecutors that he will act as an informant. He promised to reveal the names of those involved and how the money was moved in exchange for a reduced sentence.

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