LONDON: According to the Financial Times, a corruption scandal has gripped the European Parliament following the discovery of cash donations and the detention of an MEP tied to promoting Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup.
A Belgian court charged four people with “membership in a criminal organization, money laundering, and corruption” after a weekend of searches and arrests.
Qatar allegedly attempted to persuade EP leaders through monetary payments and luxury vacation packages.
The crisis has resulted in resignations and the postponement of a vote on granting Qataris visa-free access to Europe.
The controversy is reported to involve two MEPs as well as the family of a former MEP in Italy.
They were allegedly given a $105,000 vacation to Qatar in exchange for publicizing the country’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup.
On Monday, the EU’s foreign policy head said suspicions of bribery by World Cup host Qatar to improve its image at the European Parliament were “worrisome.”
The bribery allegations have shaken the EU lawmakers and triggered calls for the bloc’s institutions to be scrutinized in order to root out foreign influence.
“There is a continuing process.” Certainly, the news is quite concerning – very, very concerning,” said Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy leader.
According to Borrell, no officials from the EU’s diplomatic service or abroad missions were named in the allegations.
“There have been police and judicial actions.” “We must carry out these actions,” Borrell said, adding that he could not go beyond the “judiciary declarations.”
“(These are) quite serious claims,” he said.
The charges, according to Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney, are “damaging,” and “we need to get to the bottom of it.”
“This is also about Europe’s credibility,” his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock, said.
Qatar has long faced accusations that its successful bid to host football’s championship tournament was tainted by corruption.
Prior to the arrests, Belgian police examined charges that Qatar attempted to influence members of the European Parliament.
Dino Giarrusso, an Italian MEP, stated that Qatari representatives had approached Parliament staff on multiple times since 2019.
“They were aiming to improve the country’s reputation, particularly in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup,” he added.
According to Belgium’s federal prosecutors, “third parties in political and/or strategic positions” within the EP were “paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence decisions.”
Eva Kaili, an EP vice president, is thought to be one of the officials accused of corruption.
Last month, the former Greek TV host defended Qatar’s human rights program in Parliament, calling the country a “front-runner in labor rights.”
She defended Doha’s World Cup hosting, claiming that MEPs who criticized the Gulf state had “accused everyone who talks to them of corruption, but they still take their gas.”
Kaili has been stripped of her legislative duties as well as her membership in the socialist party PASOK in Greece.
The charges of corruption against Kaili are of “utmost concern,” according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“The allegations are very serious,” she said, repeating her proposal for the establishment of an independent ethics body to oversee EU institutions.
“It is a question of people’s trust in our institutions, and this trust and confidence in our institutions requires greater standards,” the EU chief stated.
The European People’s Party, the EP’s largest party, issued a statement saying it was “shocked” by the corruption scandal and that “no stone should be left unturned” in subsequent investigations.
Transparency International, an anti-corruption organization, has called for an independent ethics watchdog to oversee EU institutions in the aftermath of the scandal.
“Over many decades, the Parliament has enabled a culture of impunity to evolve, with a mix of loose financial regulations and controls and a complete lack of independent (or indeed any) ethics supervision,” said Transparency EU head Michiel van Hulten, a former MEP.
Qatar has flatly denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
“Any link of the Qatari government with the claimed claims is unfounded and severely misinformed,” a Doha official said.
Source: Arab News
