December 9, 2022 – 9:21 PM
Agence France-Presse reported that the Belgian authorities detained Eva Kaili, Vice-President of the European Parliament. on Twitter.
The As reported by Politico Belgian police searched 16 apartments and arrested at least four people in and around Brussels on Friday. The action may be part of an investigation into Qatar’s pressure on the European Parliament.
Among the EU’s representative groups, the Socialists and Democrats – who have been known for their permissive attitude towards Qatar ahead of the soccer World Cup – are particularly affected by the ongoing affair.
In addition to Agence France-Presse, the Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir reported that Eva Kaili, representative of the Greek socialist party PASOK and vice-president of the European Parliament, is among those arrested. They also wrote that Luca Visentini, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, had been taken away by the police.
Kylie recently described Qatar as “the frontrunner for workers’ rights” after meeting with the country’s labor minister, despite serious international concerns about stadium construction conditions. The vice president of the European Parliament did not respond to Politico’s query on Friday evening.
Belgian newspaper Knack writes that investigators are looking into whether Qatar tried to influence parliament “beyond classic pressure”. The newspaper reported that during the raids, the police seized “about 600,000 euros in cash”, mobile phones and computers. Knack’s information matches Le Soir’s, they write that a former S&D member of the European Parliament and a high-ranking trade union official was brought in for questioning.
Representatives of the Socialist Group responded in a statement: “They consider the allegations of corruption against European institutions shocking” and “are cooperating fully with the investigating authorities,” they wrote.
