Belgian court extends detention for Greek MEP Eva Kaili amid corruption probe
Belgium’s first-instance correctional court on Thursday ordered continued detention for Greek Member of Parliament Eva Kaili, who is under investigation for alleged involvement in a criminal organization, corruption, and money laundering linked to a bribery scheme related to the European Parliament.
In a statement issued hours after the Brussels hearing, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor said the court extended Kaili’s precautionary detention for another month.
The defense, representing the Social Democrat MEP, asserted Kaili’s innocence and pressed for electronic monitoring as an alternative to detention, arguing she should be allowed to participate in the investigation with a wristband surveillance system.
Speaking outside the Palace of Justice in Brussels, Kaili’s Belgian lawyer, André Risopoulos, stated that Kaili is innocent and has never engaged in corruption. Greek lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, who traveled from Athens for the proceedings, has visited Kaili in custody since her arrest on December 9.
Kaili, who was removed from her post as Vice President of the European Parliament but retains her seat, is detained on grounds of alleged flagrant offenses, despite parliamentary immunity.
During the operation, authorities seized numerous records, more than 1.5 million euros in cash, and various electronic devices. Three other individuals were arrested on the same charges and appeared at the first hearing on the 14th.
Kaili was unable to attend the hearing due to a strike by prison officials.
Subsequently, the court ordered Italian Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former European Parliament member and head of the NGO Fight Impunity, to remain in preventive detention. Panzeri is accused in connection with the same case and was joined by Francesco Giorgi, an alleged ringleader and Kaili’s partner.
The court also ordered the release of Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the general secretary of the NGO No Peace Without Justice, after his detention, though he was required to wear an electronic wristband. No further court-imposed restrictions were announced at that time.
On December 9, Luca Visentini, an Italian trade unionist, and Alessandro Kailis, whose father is an MEP, were detained while leaving a hotel with a suitcase containing money. Both were released two days later.
The case also touches two additional European Parliament members, Belgian socialist Marc Tarabella and Italian socialist Andrea Cozzolino, who have not been charged in connection with the current proceedings.
“Media Experiment”
Tarabella, whose address was searched in Belgium and who was expelled from his party, declared his innocence and condemned the investigation as a witch-hunt.
Cozzolino, expelled from the Social Democratic group in the European Parliament, maintains his innocence and awaits a judge’s decision to appear and potentially waive parliamentary immunity in relation to the case, which has become a focal point of media attention.
Lawyers for Kaili, a European Parliament member since 2014 and one of the 14 vice-presidents since January 2022, criticized leaks that have emerged from the investigation, noting that the Belgian Prosecutor General’s Office opened an inquiry into the matter.
According to reports from Belgian and Italian outlets, Kaili reportedly acknowledged to police involvement in the conspiracy and said she sought help from her father to manage the money. The coverage also suggested Kaili might have claimed no knowledge about funds belonging to her partner, though these accounts have not been independently verified.
There are indications that the defense contestably asserts Kaili’s role while distancing responsibility for the money from her family. Panzeri is alleged to have paid sums connected to Qatar and Morocco in 2019 after stepping down from his MEP seat in 2004-2019.