Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella accepted an invitation to Qatar. In February 2020, he took a trip to Qatar paid for by the emirate and failed to report to the European Parliament as required, his lawyer told Belgian broadcaster RTL yesterday.
The Socialist MEP is considered a close confidant of former Italian MP Pier-Antonio Panzeri, who is at the center of the EU corruption scandal.
Tarabella has denied any involvement in the case, but has now acknowledged that she traveled to Qatar at the emirate’s expense. He had been invited to a conference and the organizers covered the costs, his lawyer said. An employee reminded him to publicize the trip, but the deadline had already expired.
Lawyer: “It’s not illegal to get paid for travel”
“It is not illegal for an organization to pay for a trip”, emphasized the lawyer. Tarabella traveled to Qatar to visit the stadiums being built for the World Cup and “meet the workers”.
Tarabella highlighted the “positive development” of human rights in Qatar at the European Parliament in November – in the name of “Realpolitik” and as “encouragement”, as her lawyer put it. It is also possible that the Italian Panzeri advised his friend Tarabella to “say something specific” without him knowing that the Italian parliamentarian “money with their friendship”, said the lawyer.
On Wednesday, Belgian MEP Marie Arena admitted that she had not reported a business trip paid for by Qatar in May 2022.