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And Qatar makes the headlines again. While in the heat of the FIFA World Cup, which itself hasn’t been without controversy, Qatar yet again find itself in the middle of a global scandal. On 9 December, the Belgian Federal Police carried out a major raid targeting people with links to the European Parliament. According to Belgian newspapers Le Soir and Knack, Qatar is believed to have paid these persons in gifts and large sums of money in order to gain influence over decisions of the European Parliament as well as to boost its image on the world stage.
The poster girl for this elaborate scheme is none other than one of the 14 Vice-Presidents of the European Parliament, Greek MEP Eva Kaili who has since been suspended from her party, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats after being caught red-handed. A search of her home lead to the discovery of at least €150 000 in cash as well as gifts from Qatar. In addition, her father was arrested with a suitcase containing about €600 000 in cash.
Other suspects in the investigation who have been detained by the police include Francesco Giorgi, parliamentary assistant (and Kaili’s partner), Antonio Panzeri, former Social Democrat MEP and, ironically enough, president of the Brussels-based NGO, Fight Impunity Pier, and Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, leader of the NGO, No Peace Without Justice. While this anti-corruption operation has triggered a wave of reactions from European staff members, Qatar has denied any involvement in the scandal.
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