Brussels court confirms Eva Kaili remains in prison

The court in Brussels confirmed that Eva Kaili remains in prison in pre-trial detention after she appeared before the judicial council earlier.

In an official announcement, the council said that Kaili can appeal the decision within 24 hours, but she will have to appear before the Indictment Chamber at the Brussels Court of Appeal within 15 days, it was added.

The Greek MEP insists that she is innocent and has no idea of the illegal activities of her Italian partner Francesco Giorgi and the alleged mastermind of the scandal, Antonio Panzeri. They have been both arrested and imprisoned since early December 2022.

But things have changed since former Italian MEP Pier-Antonio Panzeri decided to collaborate with Belgian justice to shed light on the scandal, which has shaken the European Parliament.

EURACTIV was informed that Panzeri will take part in new rounds of testimonies due to start on 24 January.

A source close to the issue told EURACTIV that Panzeri has already referred to Kaili’s role in the scandal “in a negative manner” without elaborating further.

He allegedly also admitted that money had been received by third countries to “pay particularly EU lawmakers”, the source said.

Given that Panzeri will have to speak the truth to get a lesser sentence, Brussels stakeholders are already panicking about whose name could crop up and from which EU institution.