The Belgian federal prosecutor has requested the lifting of parliamentary immunity for two Italian MEPs in connection with corruption allegations in the so-called Qatargate investigation.
The request, reported by Le Soir on Tuesday, has been confirmed by the federal prosecutor. The MEPs in question are Elisabetta Gualmini and Alessandra Moretti, both members of the Socialist and Democrats Group (S&D).
The President of the European Parliament is expected to announce this request at the opening of the next plenary session on 10 March in Strasbourg. The prosecutor has declined to comment further in the interest of the ongoing investigation.
The federal prosecutor has been conducting a major investigation for several months into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to influence the decision-making processes of the European Parliament. It is alleged that the two countries attempted to sway resolutions and decisions through former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri and his NGO, Fight Impunity.
Panzeri, along with his right-hand man Francesco Giorgi, Giorgi’s partner Eva Kaili (then Vice-President of the European Parliament), Brussels lobbyist Nicolo Figa-Talamanca, former Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, and former Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino, have all been charged. Their former colleague, MEP Marie Arena, has also been charged, but not with corruption.
Several defence lawyers requested in 2023 that the Court of Indictments review the legality of the procedures. Hearings on the matter are scheduled for 18 and 25 March, as well as 22 April.
Meanwhile, the R Committee has confirmed the legality of the investigative methods used by the State Security Service in this case.
