An appeals court in Brussels is scheduled to hear proceedings this Tuesday regarding a widening anti-corruption operation that centers on alleged bribery by Qatar-linked interests targeting Members of the European Parliament and their deputies in a bid to strengthen political and economic influence within the European Union.
Specifically, the court reviewed the request from Nicolo Figa-Talamanca, a prominent lobbyist, who sought to lift or modify his detention conditions. Reports from Le Soir indicate that Figa-Talamanca had implicated a move to drop the use of the electronic monitoring wristband, aiming to ease his confinement, which would have altered the existing detention regime.
Meanwhile, Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former Italian MEP who founded the NGO Fight Impunity, attended the hearing and urged that the session be postponed to January 17. Panzeri is a central figure in the broader investigation, and his counsel argued for the delay amid ongoing legal considerations.
Last week, the Brussels Court of First Instance extended the remand period for Eva Kaili, the former Vice-President of the European Parliament who was dismissed from her duties following an indictment tied to the corruption case examined by the Belgian Prosecutor General’s Office. The extension underscores the continuing legal process and the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the case.