Brussels, Dec 15 (AFP\/APP):The legal challenges facing Eva Kaili sharpened Thursday as the Greek MEP, already accused of taking bribes, faced a second investigation and a vote to strip her of parliamentary immunity.<\/p>\n
Kaili was arrested last week during a series of Belgian police raids on European politicians’ homes and offices around Brussels, and has been charged with corruption and money-laundering.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, a Greek judicial source said that Athens prosecutors had also opened a preliminary inquiry in parallel with the Belgian case, which has sent shockwaves through the European Parliament.<\/p>\n
And in the latest blow, the European chief prosecutor asked the parliament to strip Kaili of her immunity from prosecution so that she can be investigated for a separate alleged misuse of funds assigned to MEPs to pay assistants.<\/p>\n
These new damaging developments came as the president of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, vowed to adopt “a wide-ranging reform package” to clean up the legislature.<\/p>\n
Metsola said the plan would strengthen the parliament’s whistle-blower protection systems, ban all “unofficial friendship groups” with foreign governments and review how to enforce its own rules.<\/p>\n
She said she would lead the changes, which are to include “a complete and in-depth look at how we interact with third countries,” and that the package would be ready “in the New Year”.<\/p>\n
Four suspects — including Kaili, a former European Parliament vice president under Metsola — have been charged in Belgium with “criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering”.<\/p>\n
– Bags of cash –<\/p>\n
Through her lawyers, Kaili, a 44-year-old former TV newsreader, has denied any wrongdoing and suggested that her partner and fellow accused Francesco Giorgi has questions to answer.<\/p>\n
A series of searches at the homes and offices of politicians, lobbyists and parliamentary assistants turned up around 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash.<\/p>\n
A Belgian judicial source said 600,000 euros were found at the home of MEP-turned-lobbyist Pier Panzeri, 150,000 euros in Kaili’s flat and 750,000 in her father’s hotel room.<\/p>\n
In Kaili’s Greek homeland, the Athens financial prosecutor’s office has opened a preliminary corruption and money laundering investigation, a judicial source said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
“The financial prosecutor… has ordered the opening of an investigation into taking bribes and money laundering,” said the source.<\/p>\n
Two deputy prosecutors have been assigned to the case and asked Belgium for copies of documents and information on the progress of the investigation.<\/p>\n
But Greek prosecutors will await the results of the ongoing investigation in Brussels before deciding whether to open criminal proceedings in Greece.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Brussels, Dec 15 (AFP\/APP):The legal challenges facing Eva Kaili sharpened Thursday as the Greek MEP, already accused of taking bribes, faced a second investigation and a vote to strip her of parliamentary immunity. Kaili was arrested last week during a series of Belgian police raids […]<\/p>\n
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