European Parliament MEP Eva Kaili testified before the European Parliament's Committee of Legal Affairs on Tuesday over a case involving possible fraud related to her reimbursements and payments to her assistants.
The hearing did not relate to the corruption scandal dubbed 'Qatargate', but to a case initiated by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in December 2022 requesting the lifting of immunity for MEP Kaili on possible corruption related to the EU budget related to her and her assistants.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, per the Committee's procedures, and lasted around half an hour.
A vote on whether the MEP's immunity will be lifted in this particular case will be held at the Committee's next meeting around the end of October. The final decision rests with the European Parliament, which will hold a vote during a plenary session.
Last Wednesday, she attended the speech of exiled Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who called on European allies to continue supporting the people of Belarus in their struggle for freedom.
She also returned to the seats of the European Parliament last Thursday.
It is noted that Kaili's request to return to the proceedings of the European Parliament was approved at the beginning of June.
A few months ago, Eva Kaili expressed her desire to come to Greece in her statement through her lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos.
"I miss my country very much. I want to come as soon as possible. Still, first, I want to shake off the stigma of the charge I am facing, either with an acquittal decision of the justice system or, if it is delayed, with the public display of the elements that destroy the indictment," said Eva Kaili.
This is a statement she made after the decision by the Brussels Court of Appeal, which informed that Eva Kaili would be able to move wherever she wants within the Schengen Zone without asking for the permission of the Belgian authorities, as announced by her lawyers. This means that she can also return to Greece.
On May 25, the Belgian authorities decided that the Greek politician could also remove the electronic surveillance bracelet, but with restrictive conditions.
The MEP was called on to return equipment used for electronic surveillance and to allow access to her home to a national electronic surveillance centre member to remove said equipment.
She was also required to reside in her residence and to only change her residence after first notifying the investigator and to leave Belgium with his prior written permission.
On Monday, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported on its website that Kaili was seen in the corridors of the European Parliament with her two-year-old daughter.
Kaili, Italian former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, along with two others, are facing charges of corruption and money laundering in relation to alleged payments from Qatar and Morocco.
Panzeri has agreed to work with Belgian authorities in exchange for a reduced sentence. Qatar and Kaili have denied wrongdoing. Morocco has complained of “judicial harassment” after the graft probe, which has been dubbed “Qatargate.”
Kaili’s former partner, Francesco Giorgi, confessed to taking bribes, and said he suspected MEP Marc Tarabella of receiving money from Qatar, according to a source close to the investigation. Giorgi’s lawyer declined to comment.
According to the report compiled to lift Taraballa’s immunity, a Belgian investigation showed that he “may have been involved in acts of corruption connected with interference by one or more foreign states aimed at influencing the debates and decisions taken in the European Parliament.”
It said that “testimony against him suggests that such payments were made to him on several occasions, amounting to a total of between” €120,000 and €140,000.
The scandal came to light in early December after authorities launched a series of raids across Brussels, and in Italy, seizing hundreds of thousands of euros.
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