Former Belgian socialist MEP Marie Arena announced on Saturday that she had been charged as “member of a criminal organization” in the so-called investigation «Qatargate » on suspicions of corruption within the European Parliament, in a daily interview The Free . This indictment was confirmed to AFP by the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, which did not wish to say more.
The scandal broke out in December 2022 with the arrest in Brussels of half a dozen potential “corrupt” and the seizure of enormous sums of cash, found notably at the homes of former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and Eva Kaili, then Greek vice-president of the European Parliament.
Eva Kaili, Pier Antonio Panzeri and his former assistant Francesco Giorgi (ex-spouse of the Greek elected official) as well as two former socialist MEPs, the Belgian Marc Tarabella and the Italian Andrea Cozzolino are among those charged in the case.
“I was not corrupt”
Marie Arena was close to Pier Antonio Panzeri and her name was mentioned in the file since the beginning of the case. She was questioned as a suspect by the police at the beginning of 2024 without being worried until now. The French-speaking elected official, aged 58, denies any involvement in the “Qatargate”. She presented her indictment on Saturday as a victory after being heard Thursday by an investigating judge as her defense demanded. She will now have access to the file.
“I was finally heard. I am only charged because I am a member of a “criminal organization”she explained in an interview with The Free. “The investigating judge noted that I was not corrupt, that I was not laundering money in a case where everything revolves around that. In fact, I am indicted because I know other people who are indicted for acts of corruption.she said.
-One of the six searches carried out in mid-July 2023 at her home and those around her led to the discovery of 280,000 euros in cash, at the home of her son, next to hers, according to a source close to the case. “To be linked to a criminal organization, you have to have knowledge of criminal activities and I swear to you that it was totally unthinkable for me”she said.
Qatar and Morocco involved
Qatar and Morocco are suspected of having orchestrated this alleged corruption within the European Parliament in order to smooth their human rights image. They always firmly denied it.
The investigation, carried out in Belgium, has been disrupted for more than a year by disputes from various lawyers over the legality of the proceedings. A parallel procedure, a sort of trial of investigation, was opened before the Brussels Court of Appeal, with hearings still scheduled until April. No date has yet been mentioned for a possible appearance on trial for the accused.
