Italian held in EU-Qatargate bribery probe agrees to tell all

An alleged person of a transgression web progressive successful an EU corruption ungraded has agreed to uncover which countries were progressive and however it operated.

Prosecutors said Pier Antonio Panzeri agreed the plea woody nether an informant instrumentality utilized lone erstwhile earlier successful Belgium.

The erstwhile subordinate of the European Parliament is 1 of 4 suspects being held successful Belgium.

They are suspected of accepting bribes from Qatar and Morocco successful instrumentality for influencing the Parliament successful Brussels.

Qatar has strenuously denied that it tried to summation power done gifts and wealth portion Morocco has besides powerfully rejected allegations that it sought power connected issues specified arsenic sportfishing rights and the disputed presumption of Western Sahara.

The 4 suspects were charged past period aft constabulary seized astir €1.5m (£1.3m) successful currency during a bid of raids connected a flat, a location and a hotel. Pictures of stashes of €200, €50, €20 and €10-denomination notes were released by police, including a suitcase recovered successful the edifice which was stuffed with cash.

The different suspects see a serving Greek MEP, Eva Kaili, who has been stripped of her relation arsenic a vice-president of the Parliament, her spouse Francesco Giorgi, and lobbyist Niccolò Figà-Talamanca.

After Mr Panzeri, 67, near the Parliament helium became the caput of a lobby radical called Fight Impunity. Mr Figà-Talamanca worked from the aforesaid gathering successful Brussels for a abstracted NGO.

According to a connection from Belgium's national prosecutor, the erstwhile MEP agreed to the plea bargain nether a instrumentality modelled connected an Italian proviso for repentant mafia members oregon "pentiti" to crook authorities witness.

A spokesperson said helium faced a twelvemonth successful jail, alternatively than a "much heavier situation sentence", arsenic good arsenic a good and confiscation of €1m successful assets.

In instrumentality helium would beryllium required to springiness details of however the web operated, what the fiscal arrangements were with the countries concerned, and "the engagement of known and chartless persons wrong the investigation, including the individuality of the persons helium admits to having bribed".

The plea woody was released a time aft an Italian tribunal agreed to extradite the ex-MEP's daughter, Silvia Panzeri, 38, connected suspicion of engagement successful the scandal.

The aforesaid tribunal successful the bluish metropolis of Brescia ruled past period that Mr Panzeri's wife, Maria Colleoni, could besides beryllium extradited, but Italy's apical entreaty tribunal volition springiness a last ruling connected their case. The 2 women are presently are location apprehension and contradict allegations of corruption and wealth laundering.

Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who besides denies engagement successful the case, is suspected on with the others of taking bribes from Qatar successful instrumentality for influencing EU policy-making.

Her spouse Francesco Giorgi was reported to person confessed past period to his relation successful the affair.

However, Mr Panzeri's notation to chartless radical wrong the probe suggests much revelations are owed to emerge.

Belgian prosecutors person already sought to assistance the immunity of 2 much centre-left MEPs. Belgian Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino from Italy.

Lawyers for some MEPs person denied that they played immoderate portion successful the ungraded but the petition is being reviewed by Parliament's ineligible affairs committee.