01/31/2023 11:57 am (act. 01/31/2023 11:57 am)
Deputy Marc Tarabella faces prosecution ©APA/AFP
In the corruption scandal in the European Parliament, two other MEPs are on the verge of losing their immunity. The Judiciary Committee of the EU People’s Representation voted unanimously on Tuesday in Brussels to allow criminal investigations into Belgian lawmaker Marc Tarabella and Italy’s Andrea Cozzolino. Finally, the plenary session of the European Parliament will decide on Thursday.
The Belgian judiciary had asked for the immunity of the two Social Democrats to be lifted. Tarabella is suspected of receiving state perks from the Gulf of Qatar. It is also said that Cozzolino was influenced by Morocco. Both lawmakers deny the allegations.
At Tarabella, investigators also searched their private rooms as part of the raids in December. Until recently, one of the main suspects in the corruption case, Francesco Giorgi, worked for Cozzolino.
Giorgi is in custody alongside three other suspects. This also includes his partner, the ousted Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eva Kaili. The Belgian judiciary accuses them of “corruption”, “membership of a criminal organization” and “money laundering”. A total of €1.5 million in cash was seized in the scandal.