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European ParliamentGreen light to waive immunity for two MEPs
On Tuesday, a committee of the European Parliament gave its consent to withdraw the immunity of two representatives, a Belgian and an Italian.
European Parliament rocked by corruption scandal
AFP
The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee voted unanimously on Tuesday to lift the immunity of two Socialist MEPs over a corruption case involving Qatar and Morocco, reported reporter Manon Aubrey.
A Belgian judge earlier in January requested that the parliamentary sanctions be lifted against the elected officials involved, Belgium’s Marc Darabella and Italy’s Andrea Cozzolino. This first green light must be confirmed by a vote in a plenary session from 11am on Thursday, a spokesman for parliament said.
“Justice moves forward. “Unfortunately, Parliament has not been so effective in passing anti-corruption reforms,” tweeted French MEP Manon Aubry (LFI-NUPES), who wrote statements in favor of raising the immunity of two elected officials.
A resonant issue
Four people have been jailed in the scandal that has rocked the European Parliament: former Italian Socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, elected Greek Socialist Eva Kaili, the latter’s companion, Italian parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi, and Italian Niccolò Figa-Talamanca, head of NGOs.
They were charged with “membership of a criminal organization”, “money laundering” and “corruption”. In total, Belgian investigators recovered 1.5 million euros (some 1.5 million francs) in cash, seized from the homes of Pierre Antonio Panzeri and Eva Kylie, and in a suitcase carried by her father.
(AFP)
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