A member of the European Parliament who is accused of graft will be released from custody. However, the MP will still be facing charges in the latest development of the probe by federal prosecutors.
Federal prosecutors and the lawyer of EU Greek MP Eva Kaili said on Wednesday that Kaili would be released from custody. Kaili will be wearing an electronic tag and will not be allowed to leave Belgium as the investigation continues. It remains to be determined when Kaili will be released.
Kaili was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar and Morocco in what would be one of the biggest corruption scandals in the bloc’s institutions. Kaili has denied wrongdoing, and Doha has also denied the allegations. Morocco has also complained of “judicial harassment” and media attacks.
Kaili previously protested her innocence at a Belgian court in December, requesting that she be released under electronic surveillance. One of Kaili’s lawyers said that the EU lawmaker felt betrayed by her partner, Francesco Giorgi, who is also one of those who were accused in the scandal.
Aside from Kaili, Belgian EU lawmaker Marc Tarabella was released after being detained in February for the same allegations. Tarabella was released on Tuesday and was made to wear an electronic tag. Tarabella also denies wrongdoing.
Italian EU lawmaker Andrea Cozzolino is currently fighting Brussels’ request to extradite him from Italy and also denied taking bribes from other countries.
Kaili and three others were detained in December after Belgian prosecutors conducted a raid of 16 houses and seized $631,000 in cash. Six people were initially detained at the time, but four were charged, and the other two were released. The EU Parliament said that they suspended Kaili’s powers and duties as one of its vice presidents.
Kaili’s party, the Greek Socialist PASOK Party, said it was expelling the lawmaker in light of the investigation. Tarabella also confirmed that his home was one of those that were searched by prosecutors, and his computer and mobile phone was seized. Tarabella said at the time that he did nothing wrong and would cooperate with the investigators.