Three More Charged in Connection with ‘Qatargate’ Bribery Scandal in European Parliament

Eva Kaili

Belgian authorities have charged three additional individuals in connection with the “Qatargate” bribery scandal that has shaken the European Parliament, a lawyer involved in the case confirmed to AFP on Wednesday.

The three men, who have not been named, were indicted at the end of 2024, the lawyer said, corroborating a report by Belgian newspaper Le Soir. The indictments were officially disclosed during a closed-door hearing in Brussels on Tuesday.

The Qatargate scandal erupted in December 2022 when police raids in Brussels uncovered 1.5 million euros in cash at the homes of Greek MEP Eva Kaili and former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri. Both are among several lawmakers and political figures accused of accepting bribes to advance the interests of Qatar and Morocco.

The latest indictments target former aides who worked for the Socialists and Democrats parliamentary group or were linked to Panzeri and Francesco Giorgi, an Italian parliamentary assistant and Kaili’s partner.

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