Greek MEP removed from office amid corruption investigation

Parliament vice president Eva Kaili will appear in court with three associates after police probing corruption find €1.5m in cash

Eva Kaili will be charged on Wednesday alongside three associates with 'participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption'. File picture: Menelaos Myrillas/SOOC/AFP/Getty

The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to remove one of its 14 vice-presidents from office following a cash-for-favours corruption scandal engulfing EU politics.

Eva Kaili, a Greek socialist MEP, once regarded as the epitome of youth and dynamism in the European Parliament, will face a judge in Brussels tomorrow, Wednesday, alongside three others, charged with “participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption”.

A series of police raids which started last Friday resulted in at least €1.5m in cash being seized at private residences and from Ms Kaili’s father outside a hotel in Brussels.

While Belgian authorities investigating the corruption case only say that “a gulf state” is involved, it is widely reported in the mediato be linked to Qatar, although the government in Doha has branded those claims “baseless and gravely misinformed”.

Eva Kaili is confirmed to have visited Qatar on undisclosed trips, including the opening match of the World Cup between the hosts and Ecuador.

She has also delivered glowing speeches in the European Parliament about the country’s labour reforms, despite widespread reports of human rights abuses of migrant workers during the building of the stadiums for the ongoing football tournament.

Barry Andrews, Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin: '[I]t was absolutely essential to send a strong message to avoid potential long-term damage to European democracy and the parliament itself.' File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

A total of 625 of 628 MEPs voted in favour of removing Ms Kaili from her office as vice-president of the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, Tuesday.

They deemed her to be “guilty of serious misconduct”, but there are questions around the effect that vote might have on her right to a presumption of innocence in and trial.

Fianna Fáil MEP for Dublin, Barry Andrews, told the Irish Examiner that the vote in parliament was warranted.

“There are two parallel processes going on; legal and political,” Mr Andrews said.

“There’s a presumption of innocence in the legal process but, from a political standpoint, it was absolutely essential to send a strong message to avoid potential long-term damage to European democracy and the parliament itself.”

MEPs also chose to reverse a legislative process towards easing visa requirements for Qatari citizens entering the EU.

The file was due to be voted on this week but has been thrown back down to the committee in charge of it to reassess.

“European democracy is under attack,” said Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, promising to open an internal probe.

Eva Kaili was arrested alongside three Italian men, all linked to an unregistered human rights NGO called Fighting Impunity.

Former MEP Antonio Panzeri is its president, her life partner Francesco Giorgi works for the NGO, and the third is the head of another organisation which shares an office with Fighting Impunity.

Their closed-door, pre-trial hearing will include a read-out of the charges against them and a check that they are fit to stand trial, in line with Belgian law.

The case is raising broader questions about practices of lobbying in and around the EU institutions in Brussels and beyond.

Paul Varakas, the president of the Society of European Affairs Professionals, which advises interested parties on how to abide by the EU's current rules, says a loophole which allows MEPs to meet officials from governments without disclosing is a fundamental flaw.

“There are many rules lobbyists have to obey, but very few on the lawmakers meeting third party government officials, and even fewer sanctions on them if there are breaches”, Mr Varakas told the Irish Examiner.

A number of offices of MEPs and their assistants remain sealed in the European Parliament as Belgian authorities continue their investigations to see if the corruption scandal runs deeper than so far reported.