Arrest of EU lawmakers in 'Qatar bribery probe' sparks calls for reform in bloc's parliament

The European Parliament is facing serious calls to enact reforms after the arrest of a parliamentary official and four others in connection with an alleged Qatar-linked corruption and bribery probe.

The Saturday call came after Eva Kaili, a European Parliament vice-president and Greek socialist Member of European Parliament (MEP), was arrested on Friday, hours after four others were detained for questioning.

The European Parliament's president announced later the same day that Kaili's status as a vice-president has been suspended.

Roberta Metsola said she was suspending "all powers, duties and tasks... delegated to Eva Kaili in her capacity as Vice-President of the European Parliament."

Kaili is also a former television presenter. In November, just prior to the World Cup, she met Qatar's Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri.

In a video statement posted on Twitter by the Qatar News Agency, she said: "I believe the World Cup for Arabs has been a great tool for... political transformation and reforms".

In Athens Friday, the president of the Greek socialists (PASOK) Nikos Androulakis announced on Twitter that Kaili had been expelled from the party.

On Saturday, the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament announced they had suspended her membership.

Among those arrested, at least three are either Italian citizens or originally came from Italy, a source close to the case told AFP.

Former Italian MEP, Pier-Antonio Panzeri, who served as a socialist at the parliament between 2004 and 2019, was also reportedly arrested.

In Rome, a government source confirmed reports that Panzeri's wife and daughter had been detained.

The secretary general of the International Trade Union Confederation, Italian Luca Visentini, was also among those reportedly arrested. The ITUC said it was "aware" of the media reports.

The arrests followed raids in Brussels, which Belgian prosecutors said turned up 600,000 euros ($630,000) in cash. The police also seized computers and mobile phones.

Belgian daily L'Echo reported on Saturday that "several bags full of [cash] notes" had been found at Kaili's Brussels home.

The arrests prompted the European Parliament's Greens group to call for a full investigation into allegations of bribery by Qatar.

"We will not accept business as usual...," the group posted on Twitter, adding, "We must strengthen our rules so this cannot happen again."

"This is not an isolated incident," anti-corruption campaigning group, Transparency International, said on Saturday.

"Over many decades, the Parliament has allowed a culture of impunity to develop, with a combination of lax financial rules and controls and a complete lack of independent [or indeed any] ethics oversight," its director Michiel van Hulten said.

The European Parliament has "become a law unto itself," said van Hulten, adding, "It is time for root-and-branch reform."

While prosecutors did not name the country under investigation, a legal source close to the case confirmed to AFP Belgian press reports that it was Qatar.

Prosecutors had merely said the state in question was suspected of influencing the decisions of the European Parliament through cash payments or gifts to top figures.

Reacting to the reports, an unnamed Qatari government official, said, "We are not aware of any details of an investigation. Any claims of misconduct by the State of Qatar are gravely misinformed."

The country "operates in full compliance with international laws and regulations," he added.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk