European Parliament corruption scandal: Belgium charges another EU lawmaker with corruption

Brussels: Belgian prosecutors have charged another European Union lawmaker in the cash-for-influence scandal linked to Qatar, Belgian media reported. 

Marc Tarabella, a Belgian socialist, was detained on Friday on charges of corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organisation, according to a Belgian newspaper Le Soir report quoted by Reuters.

Tarabella’s lawyer, Maxime Toller, said his client denied any wrongdoing during the questioning by Belgian authorities. What is the European Parliament corruption scandal?

The scandal or the so-called Qatargate started last December when authorities charged four people linked to the European Parliament - which sits in the Belgian capital Brussels - over allegations that 2022 FIFA World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to influence decision-making. The Belgian police on 9 December, 2022, searched 16 homes and detained at least six people connected to an investigation into alleged corruption. Prosecutors also recovered around 600,000 euros and suspected that the Gulf state tried to influence the parliament’s decisions by transferring gifts and money. Greek Member of the European Parliament and Vice President Eva Kaili was also among the arrested. Kaili has been a defender of Qatar and called the country a “frontrunner in labour rights” during one of her speeches during the FIFA World Cup last year, according to a BBC report. With input from agencies

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