Defence lawyers have demanded a public hearing to discuss the procedure’s legality involving supposed corruption within the European Parliament.
The request was submitted on Tuesday at the Indictment Chamber in Brussels, usually conducted behind closed doors. A decision on the request will be rendered next week.
The lawyers represent Eva Kaili, former Vice-President of the European Parliament, indicted in an inquiry known as "Qatargate". They requested the chamber to verify the procedural regularity, alleging that their client’s parliamentary immunity had been violated, thus rendering the proceedings unacceptable.
The other defence lawyers have likewise emphasised the necessity for a procedure review at this investigation stage.
Since 2022, a broad inquiry has been undertaken by the federal prosecutor into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to influence the European Parliament’s financial and political decisions through Italian ex-MP Pier Antonio Panzeri and his non-profit organisation, Fight Impunity.
Others implicated include Francesco Giorgi (Panzeri’s associate), Eva Kaili, who was one of the fourteen vice-presidents of the European Parliament, Italian-Belgian lobbyist Nicolo Figa-Talamanca, Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella, and Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino.
Pier Antonio Panzeri has turned state witness, agreeing to assist actively in the investigation. He allegedly claimed that Tarabella received a total of €250,000 to influence Parliament decisions, which Tarabella firmly denies.
On 19 June 2023, Judge Michel Claise, specialising in financial crime and leading the investigation, recused himself from the case due to potential conflict of interest. His eldest son and the son of MEP Marie Arena, named in the case but not yet indicted, co-own a business. The inquiry has since been pursued by investigating judge Aurélie Dejaiffe.
In March, Giorgi’s counsel filed a recusal request against Dejaiffe, which was rejected.
Giorgi’s defence also requested on Tuesday that new evidence, including audio excerpts revealed by various media outlets last February, be incorporated into the case files. In these snippets, a Qatargate investigator alleges that Panzeri is lying.
The conversation was secretly recorded by Giorgi on 3 May 2023 without the investigator, a senior inspector at the Central Office for Corruption Repression within the federal judiciary police, knowing it. "We don’t believe what he’s saying. We know he’s making fools of us," said the officer.
The Federal Public Prosecutor's Office subsequently stated that the conversation had "apparently taken place on the occasion of the return, to this defendant, of a piece of evidence that belonged to him".
