Belgian police search office and residence of EU staffer on Russia propaganda suspicions
European parliament building
Belgian investigators on Wednesday (May 29) searched the home and offices of a European Parliament staffer, who they suspect may have played a role in spreading Russian propaganda ahead of the election for the EU assembly.
Search and investigation
According to Reuters, investigators searched his residence as well as his office at the European Parliament in Brussels. French judicial authorities alsosearched his office at the European Union's assembly in Strasbourg.
The searches, as per prosecutors, were part of an investigation into possible Russian interference.
In a statement, the prosecutor's office said the "searches are part of an investigation into interference, passive corruption and membership in a criminal organisation".
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They "concern evidence of Russian interference, indicating that members of the European Parliament were approached and paid to promote Russian propaganda via the news site Voice of Europe," it added.
It also stated that "evidence suggests that the European Parliament staffer in question played an important role in this case."
Who is the staffer under investigation?
While the prosecutor's office did not disclose the name of the staffer under investigation, AFP citing sources has identified the source of the investigation as Guillaume Pradoura.
Pradoura, as per the report, is a former assistant to Maximilian Krah, embattled EU lawmaker of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and now works for Dutch far-right lawmaker Marcel de Graaff.
On social media platform X, de Graaff expressed his surprise and said that he has learned from media reports that the home and offices of an assistant had been searched.
"For me, this all comes as a total surprise," he wrote, adding "By the way, I have no involvement whatsoever in any so-called Russian disinformation operation. I have my own political beliefs and I proclaim them. That is my job as a MEP."
The search comes under a probe opened by Belgian prosecutors last month, into meddling allegations after Czech intelligence exposed a network suspected of using EU lawmakers to spread Russian propaganda.
Belgium intelligence also found evidence that some lawmakers were paid to promote Kremlin propaganda.
(With inputs from agencies)
