Belgian MEP Marie Arena was questioned on Friday morning by investigators involved in the so-called Qatargate corruption scandal at the European Parliament, according to Le Soir and RTBF.
The Socialist Party (PS) lawmaker is being questioned as a suspect but has not been arrested, also because an arrest warrant cannot be issued if her parliamentary immunity has not been lifted.
Arena has been cited numerous times in the Qatargate scandal due to her close ties to the ringleader of the operation, the former MEP Antonio Panzeri, who has turned police informant to receive a reduced sentence.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office has not asked the European Parliament to waive her immunity, despite the interest shown by the two investigating judges who have successively headed the enquiry, Le Soir reports.
In the autumn, the Public Prosecutor's Office indicated that it had sufficient legal leverage to make progress in the investigation. However, the fact that this immunity has not been lifted does not rule out the possibility of a future indictment from Judge Aurélie Dejaiffe if any wrongdoing can be found.
European Parliament. Credit: Belga
A judge had visited her home in July 2023, after Belgian media reported that Arena's name was mentioned 14 times in an Excel spreadsheet compiled by Francesco Giorgi, another key figure involved in the scandal, and partner of another implicated MEP from Greece, Eva Kaili. The document appeared to reveal extensive lobbying activities by European officials on behalf of the Mauritanian, Moroccan, and Qatari Governments, but does not mention Arena receiving money.
At the time of the house search, she told the examining magistrate via her lawyer that she was remained at their disposal. "I am convinced that the investigation will confirm that I am in no way involved in this case. I will probably be heard in the coming weeks, after the holidays." Nothing suspicious was detected during the search of her flat in July.
In March 2023, leaked testimony from Italian former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri revealed that he and Arena had stayed at a luxury hotel in Marrakech in 2015 on a trip largely funded by the Moroccan Government. However, Panzeri also claimed that Arena was unaware of who actually sponsored the trip.
Troubling investigators
Le Soir also reports on the 389 telephone calls exchanged between Antonio Panzeri and Marie Arena between mid-December 2021 and mid-September 2022. Some have questioned the "professional friendship" the MEP herself described the relationship as. However, key Qatargate suspect Francesco Giorgi claimed that the two were having an affair in one police interview. The authorities will be looking into all of these possibilities.
No one involved in the Qatargate scandal has accused Marie Arena of having received money from a foreign state. She resigned as chairwoman of the European Parliament's Human Rights Subcommittee after she admitted to having failed to declare that her flights were to Doha were paid for by the Qatari government.
In July 2022, when State Security first shared suspicions of possible interference and corruption with the Federal Public Prosecutor's Office in writing, Arena's name appeared alongside those of other agents, assistants and advisers: "Arena Maria occupies a particularly important position in the achievement of the Qataris' objectives", wrote the intelligence services. "She benefits from Panzeri's advice and influence, while Panzeri uses Arena's position as chair of the European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights to exert influence".
Antonio Panzeri has always denied that Marie Arena was ever part of his bribe operation paid for his services. The MEP has always formally denied having done anything illegal. To this day, unlike her colleague and Qatargate suspect Marc Tarabella, she has retained the confidence of her party.
