EU Qatar corruption scandal: Belgian police show off £1.3m in seized cash

This is the cash which Belgian police allege was used to bribe EU officials by an unnamed ‘Gulf State’ – widely thought to be Qatar. 

Officers say £1.3million in hard currency was seized from three different locations at the weekend including £500,000 found inside the home of one suspect, £130,000 in the flat of another, and £650,000 inside a suitcase at a Brussels hotel room.

Eva Kaili, 44, is alleged to be the recipient of at least some of that money along with her partner Francesco Giorgi, 35. The pair are among four arrested and charged with money laundering, corruption and taking part in a criminal organisation.

Kaili’s father is reported to have been carrying the briefcase with £650,000 in notes, before being stopped by investigators coming out of a Sofitel in the Belgian capital. 

Six people were arrested in the raids and four of them charged, with Eva Kaili – a European parliament vice president – said to be among them

It was that ‘red handed’ moment which allowed cops to waive Ms Kaili’s usual right to diplomatic immunity and search her home where they reportedly found ‘valuables’ and more ‘bags of banknotes’, Belgian newspaper Le Soir said.

allowed cops to waive Ms Kaili’s usual right to diplomatic immunity and search her home where they reportedly found ‘valuables’ and more ‘bags of banknotes’, Belgian newspaper Le Soir said.

The £500,000 was said to have been found inside the home of Pier Antonio Panzeri, another of the four arrested and charged at the weekend.

He is an Italian ex-MEP who now runs a think-tank championing human rights which was associated with a number of high-ranking EU officials. 

The fourth arrest is reported to be Niccolò Figa-Talamanca, who runs a lobbying group called No Peace Without Justice. 

Ms Kaili, speaking through her lawyer, has denied guilt and said she ‘has nothing to do with bribery from Qatar.’

Qatar – which has not been publicly named as the state involved but has been accused in Belgian media – has denied involvement.

‘The State of Qatar categorically rejects any attempts to associate it with accusations of misconduct,’ the Qatari mission to the EU said.

Kaili is accused of taking money from Qatar in return for trying to influence debates in the European parliament in their favour (pictured meeting the Qatari labour minister in October)

Also reported to be under arrest is Francesco Giorgi (right), Ms Kaili’s partner. The pair have been together since 2020 and have an 18-month-old daughter

All four are due in front of court tomorrow for a bail hearing.

Two more people were arrested and questioned but not charged, thought to be Mr Panzeri’s wife and daughter.

The group is accused of taking the money and other gifts in return for trying to tip debates in the European parliament in Qatar’s favour.

Shortly before the World Cup, she travelled alone to the Arab micro-state – after a fuller EU delegation had been told not to come – where she praised their preparations for the tournament.

During a debate on November 24 on a motion to condemn Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers, she stood up to praise their progress since being awarded the footballing showpiece event.

And, just 10 days ago, she showed up to vote in favour of weakening visa rules for high-ranking Qataris despite not being a member on the relevant committee.

The backlash has been swift. Over the weekend, Kaili was stripped of her responsibilities as vice president, expelled from her party both in Greece and Brussels, and saw Greek prosecutors freeze her assets.

Today, she was sacked as vice president in a 625 to 1 ballot as fellow politicians raced to distance themselves from her.

Ms Kaili, who only became an EU vice president in January having been involved in politics since age 14, has denied being involved in bribery