The judge investigating the Qatargate corruption accusations within the European Parliament has charged three new individuals, Le Soir reported on Wednesday.
'Qatargate' refers to one of the largest scandals in the history of the Brussels bubble, when multiple MEPs and parliamentary workers allegedly accepted bribes from Qatari officials.
Belgian judge Aurélie Dejaiffe has charged three more individuals in the case, Le Soir reported on Wednesday: a former political advisor, an advisor and a former parliamentary assistant from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group.
They are suspected of using their real or alleged influence to aid the criminal organisation led by former trade unionist and Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri, now an informant in the case, in exchange for gifts or advantages.
Football matches and hotel stays
The first of the recent individuals charged, identified as 'E.', was in the Lusail Stadium stands in Qatar on 9 December 2022 with his partner to watch the Netherlands against Argentina in the World Cup. The trip was fully funded by the State of Qatar.
A political advisor from the S&D, close to Francesco Giorgi – former assistant to Antonio Panzeri – has also been charged. 'C.' allegedly received between €10,000 and €20,000 "at the end of 2019" from Giorgi and Panzeri, with the money reportedly coming from Qatar.
Lastly, 'G.' was an assistant to Antonio Panzeri and Marc Tarabella before briefly working for Italian MEP Lara Comi, who is also mentioned in the Qatargate case but has not been formally investigated.
In 2017 or 2018, G. stayed at the prestigious La Mamounia hotel in Marrakech with Panzeri, Giorgi and Giorgi's partner Eva Kaili, a trip funded by Abderrahim Atmoun, now suspected of being a key figure in the Qatargate scandal.
