Suspect in Qatargate scandal to give up names in mafia-style deal

A FORMER MEP and key suspect in the Qatargate scandal has said he will name people he bribed after signing a mafiastyle plea deal in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

Pier Antonio Panzeri promised to disclose information about bribes paid by countries to buy influence in the European Parliament.

The 67-year-old was offered a “limited sentence” that includes imprisonment, a fine and confiscation of €1 million (£880,000) in assets in return, Belgian prosecutors said.

It is the latest twist in a scandal that has forced Qatar and Morocco to deny that they pay bribes to sway MEPS’ decisions on EU legislation.

Mr Panzeri’s plea deal is possible under a “pentiti” law designed for mafia cases, which has only been used once before in Belgium. He pledged to tell investigators “the identity of the persons he admits to having bribed”, prosecutors said. He will also confess his methods, the “financial arrangements with other involved countries” and “the involvement of known and unknown persons within the investigation”.

The plea deal will send jitters through the European Parliament, which continues to be rocked by the Qatargate scandal after raids by Belgian police in December.

Four suspects, including Mr Panzeri, Eva Kaili, the former European Parliament vice-president, her Italian boyfriend Francesco Giorgi, a parliamentary aide, and Niccolo Figa-talamanca, the Italian head of an NGO, were arrested and are now in jail awaiting trial.

All four were charged with participating in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption after raids at the suspects’ homes and offices in Brussels uncovered €1.5million cash.

Mr Panzeri took bribes from Morocco and had a credit card paid for by someone called “The Giant”, prosecutors said in an international arrest warrant for his wife and daughter. Both women were arrested by Italian police and their extraditions have been authorised by Rome.

Belgian prosecutors have demanded the European Parliament lift the immunity of two other MEPS, Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino. Ms Kaili, who was stripped of her vicepresident’s role, was not able to claim parliamentary immunity because a Belgian judge deemed that she was caught red-handed.

Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament president, announced proposals to protect her institution from “corruption” and “foreign interference” on Monday. They include more checks on who gets access to parliamentary premises, restricting MEPS’ activities with non-eu countries, and having a public register of MEPS’ finances.

The European Commission said yesterday it would soon table a new law criminalising corruption, with common Eu-wide penalties.