Belgium’s first-instance correctional court ruled on Thursday to be detained Greek MP Eva Kaili, accused of being a member of a criminal organization, corruption and money laundering, allegedly bribery scheme European Parliament bouncing Train Y Morocco.
In a statement hours after the hearing at the court in Brussels, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor said, “Council Chamber extended EK’s precautionary detention for another month.”
The defense of the Social Democrat MP, who ensured that Kaili “never degenerates”, had demanded that Kaili be released with the electronic wristband..
“We demanded that Kaili be placed under electronic surveillance with a wristband, actively participated in the investigation and denied any acts of corruption,” his Belgian lawyer, André Risopoulos, exited the hearing at the Palace of Justice in Brussels.
“He is innocent, he has never been corrupt,” his lawyer had said. Greek Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, who arrived from Athens the day before for the trial, has visited his client in the Harem prison since his arrest by the Belgian police on 9 December.
Kaili, who was removed from his post as Vice President of the European Parliament but still retains his seat, was arrested by the Belgian authorities on the grounds that he had committed a flagrant crime, despite having parliamentary immunity.
In the operation involving about 1 person twenty records and more than 1.5m euros in cash seizedBesides computer equipment and phones, agents have also arrested three other defendants in the case on the same charges, who were already present at the first court hearing on the 14th.
Kaili was unable to attend this hearing due to the strike of the officials in his prison.
The court later decided Italian Pier Antonio Panzeri, former member of the European Parliament, leader of NGO Fight Impunity, held in preventive detention He imprisoned his compatriot Francesco Giorgi, the alleged ringleader of the (Fight Against Privacy) and bribery ring, and also deputy parliamentarian in the European Parliament and Kaili’s emotional partner.
The court “lobbyist” and the general secretary of the NGO No Peace Without Justice (No Justice Without Peace) released Niccolo Figa-Talamanca. however, it requires you to wear an electronic wristband.
On December 9, Italian trade unionist Luca Visentini and the father of European Parliament Member of Parliament Alessandro Kailis, who was arrested while leaving the hotel with a suitcase full of money, were also arrested, but both were released two days later.
The case also affects two other MPs, Belgian socialist Marc Tarabella and Italian socialist Andrea Cozzolino, but they are not charged.
“Media Experiment”
Tarabella, whose address was searched in Belgium and who was expelled from her party, declared that she was innocent and condemned a “witch hunt”.
Expelled from the Social Democratic group in the European Parliament, Cozzolino also maintains his innocence and is being investigated. to appear before a judge to defend themselves and to waive their legislative immunity for this, because it is subject to a “media lawsuit”.
Lawyers for the Greek politician, who has been a member of the European Parliament since 2014 and one of the 14 vice-presidents of the European Parliament since January 2022, criticized the many leaks that emerged from the investigation, confirming the involvement of the Belgian Prosecutor General’s Office. opened an investigation.
“This is simply a clear violation of the directive, and I am not the only one who thinks so: The Attorney General’s Office has launched an investigation into it.said Risopoulos.
According to information published by Belgian and Italian media such as Le Soir and La Republicca since then, Kailà would admit to the police that he was involved in the conspiracy and that he sought help from his father to get rid of the money. According to this story, the Member of the European Parliament will not know anything about the money belonging to his partner.
This would also admit, on his behalf, that he was involved, and would always release his daughter’s mother from any responsibility, according to media reports.
As for Panzeri, he would agree to pay 50,000 euros from Qatar and Morocco in 2019, after relinquishing his MEP seat from 2004-2019.
Source: Informacion
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