The plenary session of the European Parliament this Thursday lifted the immunity of Socialist MEPs Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino, who want to question the Belgian judiciary over their alleged involvement in Qatargate, the scandal involving the bribery of figures at the European legislative institution in making decisions about countries like Qatar and Morocco, which have deeply shaken Brussels. MEPs, in a show of hands, quickly approved the waiver of the immunity of the two MPs, who had consistently defended their innocence and called for investigations to prove their innocence. In fact, Tarabella took part in today’s vote, which took place immediately after the opening of the plenary session in Brussels. When it was his turn, the Belgian, who had settled into his seat earnestly and barely nodded to some colleagues, also voted to have his immunity waived.
The appeal process (waiver of immunity at the request of a national court) was particularly quick, a sign of the European Parliament’s willingness to act in the face of a scandal that has seriously damaged its image. Just a month ago, at the request of the Belgian judiciary, the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, officially asked for the procedure to be initiated as a matter of urgency and the maximum deadline for its completion to February 13, the day on which the plenary session of the Chamber starts in Strasbourg.
The lifting of immunity was decided almost two weeks ago. In fact, the Legal Affairs Committee, which is responsible for preparing the report on the two MEPs, has accelerated the deadlines and appointments and presented its formal proposal this week, in which it unanimously votes in favor of stripping the two people concerned of their parliamentary immunity.
The plenary vote in Brussels this Thursday was the last necessary step to formalize the lifting of the immunity, which parliamentary sources say Metsola will now immediately inform the Belgian authorities. From that moment, the Belgian courts can interrogate Tarabella and Cozzolino and, if necessary, arrest them.
Both have repeatedly denied their involvement in Qatargate, although only the Italian took the opportunity to explain himself to his colleagues at last week’s commission hearings analyzing their cases. Tarabella has always agreed to stand trial for allegations by others involved, most notably by former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri.
According to media reports, Panzeri, who signed a cooperation agreement with the Belgian judiciary, said he paid Tarabella more than 120,000 euros in cash. The Belgian has always defended his innocence. However, he is considered to be the active politician most hinted at by Qatargate. In fact, on December 10, police searched his home, a day after the raid that sparked the case and led to the arrest of Panzeri, former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili – still MEPs like Tarabella and Cozzolino – his Partner and parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi and Niccola Figa-Talamanca, also Italian, former head of an NGO allegedly involved in the bribery scheme.
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The four remain in preventive detention on charges of corruption, money laundering and belonging to a criminal organization. The Belgian judiciary has repeatedly rejected his demands for a supervised release since his arrest. With Tarabella still enjoying parliamentary immunity, Metsola, as President of the European Parliament and in accordance with the provisions of Belgian law, had to return to Brussels from her native Malta as a matter of urgency, to take office on 10 April. The investigators did not find cash, as they had done in the documents of the other parties involved, in which they found 1.5 million euros.
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