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A Belgian choose has rejected a request by Eva Kaili, the Greek MEP detained in reference to an alleged bribery scandal on the European parliament, to be launched from detention below digital surveillance.
The choose prolonged Kaili’s pre-trial detention by one month, the federal prosecutor’s workplace stated in a press release on Thursday. She has 24 hours to attraction in opposition to the choice, during which case she is going to seem earlier than the choose inside 15 days.
Earlier on Thursday, André Risopoulos, Kaili’s lawyer in Belgium, stated she was actively co-operating with the investigations. “She rejects any corruption allegations in opposition to her,” he added.
Kaili and three others have been charged with corruption, cash laundering and participation in a legal organisation for allegedly accepting money, costly holidays and different presents to affect EU coverage in the direction of international locations equivalent to Qatar and Morocco, in keeping with authorized paperwork seen by the Monetary Occasions.
The bribery investigation has shaken the Brussels institution as a result of it implicates legislators, non-governmental organisations and overseas powers.
The allegations emerged as Qatar basked on the planet’s consideration because the host of the soccer World Cup, a event that introduced unprecedented scrutiny of the Gulf state’s remedy of migrant employees, ban on homosexuality and use of its wealth to bolster its position on the planet.
MEPs handed a softer than anticipated decision on human rights in Qatar forward of this month’s event, with Kaili praising Qatar as a “frontrunner of labour rights”. She additionally voted in favour of granting Qataris visa-free journey to Europe and sought to influence different members to comply with swimsuit. The complete parliamentary vote has now been suspended.
Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, a lawyer Kaili has retained in Greece and who was current on the court docket listening to, stated his shopper was harmless. “She has by no means been bribed. Ms Kaili is harmless,” he stated.
Dimitrakopoulos stated on Wednesday that Kaili had been betrayed by her husband Francesco Giorgi, who can be the daddy of her toddler. “She trusted him, he betrayed her,” he stated.
Giorgi, a parliamentary aide, was arrested together with Kaili and two others: former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, Giorgi’s former boss and the top of human rights NGO Battle Impunity; and Niccolò Figa-Talamanca, who ran a distinct human rights group registered on the identical deal with as Panzeri’s.
Giorgi has confessed to prosecutors dealing with money for Panzeri’s alleged scheme, in keeping with native media stories verified by the FT. The others deny the fees.
The Greek anti-money laundering authority on Thursday stated it had put an asset freeze on a plot of land on the island of Paros purchased by Kaili and Giorgi, pending an investigation into the actions of the couple in Greece. The authority additionally froze their joint checking account that was used to buy that land in March 2022.
This week, Dimitrakopoulos stated that the acquisition of the property had been authorized and that the cash used to purchase it got here from Kaili’s revenue.
On Wednesday, Dimitrakopoulos stated Kaili had found a considerable amount of money of their shared residence however she didn’t wish to report Giorgi to the police. He stated she requested her father to take the “soiled cash” and hand it over to a person at a lodge.
Alexandros Kailis, the MEP’s father, was arrested throughout a police operation earlier this month carrying a suitcase containing €750,000 in money at a Sofitel lodge close to the European parliament in Brussels. He has since been launched with out cost.
Giorgi was arrested on the identical day after police discovered €150,000 in money on the residence he shares with Kaili.
Panzeri, who’s suspected to have run the alleged corruption scheme, was arrested after police seized €600,000 in money at his residence. He denies any wrongdoing.
Figa-Talamanca was ordered to be launched below digital surveillance final week, however stays in custody for at the very least one other week, as prosecutors have challenged the choose’s order. Figa-Talamanca’s household stated he’s harmless. His lawyer declined to remark.
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