The Boston Globe

EU Parliament starts process to lift lawmakers’ immunity

Pair are accused of corruption and money laundering

- By Samuel Petrequin

BRUSSELS — The president of the European Parliament has launched an urgent procedure to waive the immunity of two lawmakers following a request from Belgian judicial authoritie­s investigat­ing a major corruption scandal rocking EU politics.

The European Parliament said Monday that President Roberta Metsola asked all services and committees to give the procedure priority, with the goal to have it finished by Feb. 13.

“From the very first moment the European Parliament has done everything in its power to assist in investigat­ions, and we will continue to make sure that there will be no impunity,” Metsola said. “Those responsibl­e will find this Parliament on the side of the law. Corruption cannot pay, and we will do everything to fight it.”

The EU Parliament press service did not identify the two MEPs. According to two people familiar with the case who were not allowed to speak publicly because the investigat­ion is ongoing, they are Andrea Cozzolino, an Italian, and Marc Tarabella, a Belgian.

The two did not immediatel­y respond to queries asking for comments.

Tarabella, whose home was raided last month, and Cozzolino have denied wrongdoing and self-suspended their membership of the Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats group (S&D).

Cozzolino had previously said he was ready to abandon his parliament­ary immunity so that he would be able to answer questions from authoritie­s.

“When it comes to the request to lift their immunity, the S&D group would follow, in the context of the European Parliament, the procedures foreseen in a responsibl­e and constructi­ve manner,” the Socialists and Democrats said.

A third member of Parliament, Eva Kaili, has already been charged in relation with the scandal, which allegedly involves Qatari and Moroccan officials suspected of influencin­g economic and political decisions with gifts and money.

Prosecutor­s accuse Kaili of corruption, membership in a criminal organizati­on, and money laundering. A Greek socialist MEP, Kaili has been in custody since Dec. 9. Her partner, Francesco Giorgi, an adviser at the European Parliament, is jailed on the same charges.

Kaili was relieved of her duties of parliament vice president after being charged. She would have normally enjoyed immunity from prosecutio­n but was brought before a judge after Belgian police launched raids on premises across Brussels last month and large sums of cash were reportedly found at her home.

Kaili and Giorgi are suspected of working with Giorgi’s onetime boss, Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former EU lawmaker. According to arrest warrants, Panzeri “is suspected of intervenin­g politicall­y with members working at the European Parliament for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco, against payment.”

The Parliament has halted work on files involving Qatar as it investigat­es what impact the cash-and-gifts-for-influence bribery scandal might have had. Qatar vehemently denies involvemen­t and Morocco has yet to respond to allegation­s that its ambassador to Poland might have been involved.

Belgian prosecutor­s are also seeking the handover of Panzeri’s wife and daughter from Italy, where they were put under house arrest on similar charges.

A fourth suspect in Belgium was also charged and jailed.

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