The European Parliament has approved the dismissal of Greek MEP Eva Kaili from the post of EP vice-president. The plenary voted yes with a majority of more than two thirds (625 votes), as foreseen by Parliament. One against and two abstentions.
Qatargate, who is Eva Kaili, the Lady Macbeth of the Greek socialists who had isolated herself for some time
by our correspondent Tonia Mastrobuoni
The vote was held by roll call at the request of the S&D, The Left and ID groups, the offices of the European Parliament said. An analysis of the votes shows that the Croatian Mislav Kolakuši of the non-members voted against. The Dutch of Ecr, Dorien Rookmaker, and the German of Id, Joachim Kuhs abstained.
Kaili is a Greek politician who was expelled from the centre-left Pasok party and suspended from the S&D group, after being arrested by Belgian authorities on suspicion of bribery by Qatar to influence decisions in the European Parliament.
Visentini: “Involved in Qatargate only because I participated in cultural activities of an NGO recognized by the EU Parliament”
by Rosaria Amato
The total banknotes found by the Belgian police during the searches of the homes of Antonio Panzeri and the former vice president of the Eurochamber, both under arrest for the Qatargate, amount to over one and a half million euros. Francesco Giorgi also lived in Kaili’s home, also under arrest. This is what the Belgian media report quoting the federal police. The count also includes cash found in the suitcase that Kaili’s father was carrying as he was leaving a Brussels hotel.
Kaili, was transported in the past few hours to Haren prison, on the north-eastern outskirts of Brussels, not far from Zaventem international airport. Haren Jail was completed in recent months and was built to lighten the burden on other institutions in the city, especially St. Gilles and Forest. It is a prison that can hold over 1100 inmates and which among its guests includes Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorist commando of the Bataclan attack.
“A few bad apples cannot offend or destroy the image built up over the decades of a European Parliament which, indeed, should have more powers”, starting with the “power of legislative initiative”. The Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, on the sidelines of the conference for Ukraine in Paris, thus replied to a question on the Qatargate corruption case affecting the EU Assembly.