Brussels, Belgium

The Qatargate which erupted on December 9, 2022, and in which no one has been convicted so far, had sent shockwaves through the European Parliament. Cash, corruption, and controversy. Arrests, raids, and political fallout. MEPs losing immunity, confessions, and plea deals. You name it.

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The legal drama is still ongoing. 

On that day of twists and turns, the Qatargate scandal hit headlines in Brussels and across the globe as several officials and their families were linked to a web of corruption.

The controversy is centred on allegations that Qatar channelled cash to influence European Parliament decisions. The allegations also revolve around the governments of Morocco, and Mauritania influencing the European Parliament in their favour through these European officials and lobbyists behind the saga. 

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As law enforcement authorities in Belgium, Italy, and Greece marched on with an extensive crackdown, arrests were made and many dozens of properties were raided.

The one face that stood out in the array of officials trapped in the controversy was of the fifth Vice President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili. 

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Kaili is a former anchor at Mega Channel from 2004 until 2007. In January 2023, her partner Francesco Giorgi, in his testimony, claimed that he along with former MEP Antonio Panzeri received bribes to sway votes in favour of Qatar and Morocco. The cash, according to Giorgi, flowed through an organisation co-founded by Panzeri, called Fight Impunity. 

Giorgi said that Kaili was not involved in the corruption scheme.

Kaili's suspicious actions included voting at the Civil Liberties Committee without notification. This was intended to support a report endorsing the idea of allowing Qatari citizens visa-free travel to the European Union.

Raid and arrests

In a dramatic turn of events, Belgian authorities executed 20 raids across Brussels, seizing €1.5 million in cash.

Eight arrests, including Kaili, Panzeri, and Kaili's father, followed. Kaili lost parliamentary immunity after her father's arrest at a Brussels hotel, where he was caught with a suitcase carrying "several hundred thousand euros."

The arrests extended to Panzeri's home, revealing a large stash of cash in a safe. Offices of the NGO Fight Impunity, led by Panzeri, were also searched. 

The Qatargate extended its reach to MEPs Tarabella and Cozzolino, who faced requests to strip their parliamentary immunity. Both eventually faced arrest on charges of corruption, money laundering, and participating in a criminal organisation.

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Morocco's involvement became apparent when Panzeri's European Arrest Warrant implicated the nation.

Reports surfaced of bribes, gifts, and luxury stays received by Panzeri from the Moroccan government. The investigation even pointed at the MEPs' trip to Laayoune in Western Sahara, sponsored by the Moroccan parliament.

Legal fallout 

Legal actions were taken freezing Kaili's assets and seizing properties.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office requested the lifting of Kaili's parliamentary immunity, citing suspicion of fraud related to parliamentary allowances. The fallout extended to other MEPs like Maria Spyraki.

In a surprising twist, Kaili claimed to have been monitored due to her work on the parliament's committee investigating the Pegasus spyware. She alleged spying by Belgium, Spain, France, and Morocco on the European Parliament's committee.

Spanish activist Miguel Urban suggested a deeper "Moroccogate" affair, calling for a retrospective review of Moroccan influence on European Parliament activities.

As the legal proceedings continue, some confessed to receiving funds from Qatar and Morocco.

Panzeri's guilty plea under a plea deal points to the involvement of various nations in bribing MEPs. However, the scandal faced challenges as the Belgian judge leading the probe stepped down as allegations of a conflict of interest gained ground. The scandal's impact reverberated through the EU and received strong reactions and suspensions of implicated officials.

What's the latest on the case? 

Except for Panzeri and Giorgi, all individuals involved maintain their innocence. The governments of the three nations involved have either denied any connection or chosen not to comment on the matter.

What comes against the backdrop of the first anniversary of the infamous Qatargate is an investigation by Politico which revealed leaked case files providing evidence of 300 alleged attempts to manipulate EU democracy.

Currently, none of the individuals linked to the Qatar corruption scandal are in custody. Most of them are required to wear electronic monitoring devices.

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Kaili, who vehemently denies the charges and claims her innocence, has even been permitted to resume her activities in Parliament.

However, the presence of individuals like Kaili in the parliamentary setting has been described as "bizarre" by Freund, a German Green MEP.

Lawyer representing Kaili, Sven Mary, once said, "You cannot call this file anymore Qatargate. That's over. You have to call the file Belgium-gate." This came as the Greek MEP took an offensive stance accusing the Belgian judiciary of overstepping in its investigations. 

(With inputs from agencies)