Greek politician and former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili speaks during the European Book Prize award ceremony in Brussels. (Credit: Eric Vidal/European Parliament/AFP)
BRUSSELS — The European Parliament suspended all work on legislation linked to Qatar on Thursday, and its president told EU leaders she would lead reforms to prevent a repeat of a criminal corruption scandal that has rocked the assembly.
Eva Kaili — one of the 14 EU Parliament vice presidents — was one of four people arrested on Sunday in Belgium in an investigation for corruption, money laundering and criminal organization. The European institution on Tuesday terminated the mandate of the Greek politician, who claims her innocence.
In a separate procedure, the European chief prosecutor requested on Thursday that the European Parliament lift prosecution immunity from Kaili and another Greek MEP Maria Spyraki.
Prosecutors suspect Kaili and three others accepted bribes from World Cup host Qatar in a bid to influence EU policymaking in one of the biggest scandals to hit the 27-nation bloc.
EU lawmakers backed by 541 votes to two a resolution saying they were "appalled" by the alleged corruption and money laundering by one of their colleagues, a former lawmaker and a staff member.
The parliament said it "denounces" the Gulf state's alleged attempts to seek influence "through acts of corruption, which constitute serious foreign interference in the EU's democratic processes."
Qatar and Kaili, through a lawyer, have denied any wrongdoing.
Qatari representatives barred from EU Parliament premises
The parliament said it would suspend all work on legislative files relating to Qatar, notably on visa liberalization, an EU-Qatar aviation agreement and planned visits until the allegations had been confirmed or dismissed.
Qatari representatives would be barred from accessing parliament's premises.
The lawmakers expressed concern about conflicts of interest from side jobs, pressed for MPs to declare their assets and for external financing of MPs or staff to be prohibited, including a ban on donations from non-EU countries.
President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola told the 27 EU leaders meeting for a summit in Brussels there were serious suspicions that "people linked to autocratic governments" were seeking to subvert EU democracy.
Metsola, who acts as speaker of the Parliament, promised to lead a "strong process of reform," though she said she recognized there would always be some people "for whom a bag of cash is always worth the risk."
"That is how we respond to rebuild trust. Trust as we know takes years to build and moments to destroy," she said, according to the text of her remarks to leaders.
Metsola told a news conference that parliament would look
into who could enter its premises and at non-government
organizations listed on its transparency register.
She said it had already struck off No Peace Without Justice, a campaign group whose secretary-general, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, is one of the three others also charged with corruption and money laundering in the case.
No Peace Without Justice has said its secretary general had suspended himself from his role to safeguard the organization and that the group trusted the investigation would show he had acted correctly.
Reuters could not reach the three suspects or their lawyers for comment. The non-profit organization two of the suspects work with has not responded to an emailed request seeking comment.
Investigation on Kaili
Furthermore, Athens financial prosecutor's office has opened a preliminary corruption and money laundering investigation targeting Eva Kaili, a judicial source said on Thursday.
"The financial prosecutor ... has ordered the opening of an investigation into taking bribes and money laundering," said the source.
The four were arrested last week as Belgian police conducted a series of searches at the homes and offices of politicians, lobbyists and parliamentary assistants, seizing around 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash.
No further details about this preliminary investigation were provided by the judicial source.
On Monday, the Greek Anti-Money Laundering Authority announced that it was freezing all the assets of the 44-year-old Socialist politician, whose appearance before the Belgian courts was postponed until Dec. 22.
Eva Kaili, suspected of having been paid by Doha to defend the interests of the emirate that is hosting the World Cup, maintains her innocence, and her lawyer in Athens, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, said that "she was not aware of the existence" of large sums of money found at her home in Brussels by Belgian investigators.
suspended all work on legislation linked to Qatar on Thursday,
and its president told EU leaders she would lead reforms to
prevent a repeat of a criminal corruption scandal that has
rocked the assembly.Eva Kaili — one of the 14 EU Parliament vice presidents — was one of four people arrested on Sunday in Belgium in an investigation for...