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Edited By: Shankhyaneel Sarkar
Last Updated: January 18, 2023, 14:45 IST
![Former European parliamentarians Eva Kaili and Pier Antonio Panzeri are being probed with several others in the EU-Qatargate scandal (Image: Reuters) Former European parliamentarians Eva Kaili and Pier Antonio Panzeri are being probed with several others in the EU-Qatargate scandal (Image: Reuters)](https://images.news18.com/ibnlive/uploads/2021/07/1627283897_news18_logo-1200x800.jpg?impolicy=website&width=510&height=356)
Former European parliamentarians Eva Kaili and Pier Antonio Panzeri are being probed with a number of others within the EU-Qatargate scandal (Image: Reuters)
Panzeri entered a plea deal and sought refuge in a legislation meant for members of the mafia. He stated he can even reveal which officers had been bribed and who bribed them
Pier Antonio Panzeri on Tuesday agreed to reveal all particulars after reaching a cope with prosecutors probing the ‘Qatargate’ corruption scandal, information company BBC stated in a report.
Panzeri’s lawyer stated that the previous member of the European Parliament will reveal which nations had been concerned in influencing the European Council lawmakers via bribes, asking them to go delicate on Qatar’s therapy of migrant employees.
There are allegations in opposition to Qatar and Morocco that they bribed EU lawmakers to affect coverage in Brussels and used networks of non-governmental organisations to cowl up the corrupt dealings.
Panzeri together with Eva Kaili, Francesco Giorgi, Maria Colleoni, Silvia Panzeri, Luca Visentini, Marc Tarabella, Niccolò Figà-Talamanca and one unidentified particular person are at the moment being investigated for his or her function.
However, the ringleaders on this case are Pier Antonio Panzeri, Francesco Giorgi, Niccolò Figà-Talamanca and Eva Kaili, all of whom are intently associated to the European Council and Panzeri and Kaili being former MEPs.
All 4 had been charged after Belgian police found stashes of money of their homes. They seized €1.5m (£1.3m) in money which had been stashed in €200, €50, €20 and €10-denomination notes. A separate suitcase stashed with money was additionally discovered.
Panzeri took refuge in a legislation which has been used solely as soon as earlier than in Belgium. His lawyer Marc Uyttendaele informed the BBC: “It is important to know that this is a man who is destroyed and he doesn’t have much of a life left.”
He additional added that the lawmaker accepted his ‘criminal responsibility’ and has agreed to “tell all he knows about the case.”
The Belgian federal prosecutor in an announcement stated that the plea discount that Panzeri agreed to is modelled on an Italian provision meant for repentant mafia members. The legislation is known as ‘pentiti’ the place such members flip into state witnesses.
Panzeri will nonetheless face a jail sentence, however a diminished one which may see him behind bars for one 12 months. He will probably be fined €1 million and his property can even be confiscated.
In return, the previous politician-cum-lobbyist will make clear the modus operandi employed by the nations concerned within the graft and in addition reveal who they had been and which officers assisted them in finishing up their plan.
The plea deal comes a day after Panzeri’s daughter, Silvia Panzeri, 38, additionally allegedly concerned within the scandal was informed that she could be extradited to Italy. Her mom and Panzeri’s spouse Maria Colleoni is also extradited, an Italian courtroom stated however stated the ultimate directive will come from Italy’s prime enchantment courtroom.
Both girls are at the moment beneath home arrest.
The aforementioned had been arrested when Greek MEP Eva Kaili’s companion Francesco Giorgi confessed in December to the function he performed in the whole scandal.
Qatar has denied the allegations and stated it didn’t achieve affect via items and cash. Morocco additionally adopted go well with and stated that it did bribe EU officers to change their stance on fishing rights and the disputed standing of Western Sahara, information company BBC reported.
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