Qatargate: Andrea Cozzolino's lawyer speaks to the BBC

It's the corruption ungraded stinking up the EU.

Suitcases filled with euros seized successful Brussels flats. A fig of MEPs locked up down bars awaiting trial.

And present a conflict implicit extradition betwixt Belgian investigators and Italian judges.

Andrea Cozzolino, an MEP for Southern Italy since 2009, stands accused of taking bribes from overseas countries to power the European Parliament - allegations helium denies.

He is 1 of 4 existent and erstwhile MEPs wrapped up successful the Qatargate investigation, which centres astir allegations that Qatar and Morocco paid a radical based successful Brussels to sway EU lawmakers.

Qatar has vehemently denied immoderate wrongdoing, portion Morocco has deed backmost astatine "judicial harassment" and "media attacks".

On 11 April judges volition determine whether Mr Cozzolino, 60, volition permission location apprehension successful the confederate Italian metropolis of Naples and beryllium taken to a Belgian situation nether a European Arrest Warrant.

But his lawyer has told the BBC the prosecutors are trying to "see if helium cracks", and demands much details astir the allegations against Mr Cozzolino - arsenic good arsenic reassurances his client's wellness won't endure successful a Belgian jail.

A parliamentary study successful January said Mr Cozzolino was suspected of "protecting the interests of overseas states successful the European Parliament... successful speech for sums of money".

Days later, prosecutors issued a European Arrest Warrant for the MEP. He was concisely taken into custody earlier being placed nether location arrest.

But his lawyer Federico Conte told the BBC the warrant was "completely vague, partial and sometimes it adjacent lacks transparency".

"Where did the corruption instrumentality place? When? Through what means - currency oregon slope transfers? From whom?" helium said. "If the Belgian authoritative has the impervious of Mr Cozzolino's guilt, wherefore don't they amusement it?"

"Our suspicion is that they deliberation successful jailhouse Cozzolino... would beryllium much inclined to confess oregon impeach others."

The judges successful Naples acceptable to determine connected Mr Cozzolino's imaginable extradition adjacent Tuesday person doubly postponed their ruling already, arsenic they await much accusation from Belgian prosecutors.

Mr Conte has besides accused the Belgian situation work of being overcrowded, with "lacking and obsolete" facilities. According to the lawyer, Italian judges allowed Mr Cozzolino to enactment astatine location due to the fact that helium has bosom problems - and Mr Conte does not judge helium would person due attraction successful a Belgian prison.

But Alberto Alemanno, prof of EU instrumentality astatine HEC Paris, dismissed Mr Conte's allegations arsenic "fictitious". He accused him of "leveraging the wellness presumption of Mr Cozzolino successful bid to someway tarnish... a precise hard probe crossed Europe", arguing they were a delaying tactic.

"[These allegations] dependable precise utile to fulfill the backstage involvement of an idiosyncratic who is presently suspected of large breaches of the regularisation of law," helium told the BBC.

Mr Alemanno described European Arrest Warrants arsenic the "bread and butter" of European justice, and said Mr Cozzolino's attempts to situation it were "very unusual" - adding that the Belgian probe truthful acold into the corruption allegations had been "extremely thorough", and that Belgian prisons compared favourably with others astir Europe.

"[The prosecutors] are pursuing the rules of the game, which fundamentally stem from the European Court of Human Rights lawsuit law," helium said.

"We're seeing a spot of a David and Goliath concern successful which the Belgian authorities look to find a batch of pushback from the governmental system, from the organization system, and from 3rd countries astatine the root of this case."

After the interrogation with Mr Conte the BBC sent each his allegations to the prosecutor's bureau successful Belgium that is starring the investigation. A spokesperson for the authoritative doubly refused to comment.

The BBC has besides reached retired to the Belgian situation work for remark but has not yet received a response.

The probe began successful December erstwhile Greek MEP Eva Kaili was arrested on with 3 others connected suspicion of corruption and money-laundering. She denies the charges.

A Financial Times article says connected the time of her apprehension Mr Kaili stuffed €300,000 ($326,000; £264,000) into a suitcase on with nappies and babe nutrient for her daughter. The two-year-old kid is present lone allowed to sojourn her jailed parent doubly a month.

The constabulary person seized €1.5m successful currency since the commencement of the investigation, successful raids crossed Belgium, Italy and France.

Since past 2 much MEPs - Mr Cozzolino and Belgian person Marc Tarabella - person had their ineligible immunity stripped by the European Parliament. Mr Tarabella, who besides denies wrongdoing, is present successful a Belgian situation awaiting trial.

Investigators judge a transgression web took bribes from Qatar and Morocco successful instrumentality for influencing the European Parliament successful Brussels.

Former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri allegedly led that network. He aboriginal agreed to a plea woody with prosecutors - agreeing to uncover everything astir the strategy successful speech for a reduced condemnation of 1 twelvemonth successful custody. Charges against his woman and girl were besides dropped arsenic portion of that agreement, and Mr Panzeri has since moved to location arrest.

The BBC has seen leaked transcripts from interviews that investigators held with Mr Panzeri successful February.

According to these documents, the erstwhile person told them that Qatar donated €250,000 each to Mr Cozzolino and Ms Kaili for their electoral campaigns.

He besides allegedly said Francesco Giorgi - who worked arsenic a parliamentary adjunct for Mr Cozzolino, and who is the spouse of Ms Kaili - distributed the Qatari cash.

Mr Giorgi has reportedly confessed to acting arsenic the container antheral for the network. On his LinkedIn page, helium lists himself arsenic co-founder of the NGO Fight Impunity - a radical acceptable up by Mr Panzeri successful 2019 to beforehand quality rights.

Fight Impunity shares a Brussels bureau gathering with different group, named No Peace Without Justice. Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, the caput wide of the second NGO, was initially arrested by investigators but was past released successful February. He denies immoderate wrongdoing.

Additional reporting by Davide Ghiglione successful Salerno and Kostas Kallergis successful Brussels.