Transparency International - Expert after EU corruption scandal: it could happen again
One year after the bribery scandal in the European Parliament came to light, the anti-corruption organization Transparency International has criticized the lack of progress in dealing with it. "As long as we don't change the culture in Parliament, it can happen again," Shari Hinds from Transparency International told the German Press Agency. Although there are regulations, they are not properly enforced and not monitored. "At the moment, there are practically no consequences if the rules are not adhered to."
When the then Vice-President of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, was arrested, there was a great deal of excitement. The Greek woman was at the center of a serious corruption scandal. The allegations: membership of a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption.
Hundreds of thousands of euros in cash
The alleged mastermind, Antonio Panzeri, was a member of the EU Parliament for many years before founding a non-governmental organization. Investigators found 600,000 euros in cash in his apartment at the time. According to media reports, bags full of cash were also discovered at Kaili's home.
Also involved in the scandal are Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino, who are still in office as MEPs, and Francesco Giorgi, Kaili's partner. Panzeri claims to have given Tarabella more than 120,000 euros in cash in several installments for his support in connection with contracts from Qatar. Cozzolino is said to have received instructions from his assistant Giorgi for political positioning for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco.
They all remained in custody or under house arrest for several months. Kaili repeatedly denounced the prison conditions in Belgium and criticized the fact that she was initially not allowed to see her young daughter. Panzeri is now serving as a key witness for the investigators. His deal with the public prosecutor's office stipulates, among other things, that he will receive a shorter prison sentence in return for his cooperation.
Question of immunity
The extent to which the allegations can be proven is still unclear. The public prosecutor's office recently confirmed that possible formal errors must also be investigated. By mid-May next year, it will be examined whether Kaili's immunity has been violated in the investigations.
The EU Parliament reacted to the scandal with stricter transparency rules. These include declarations of assets at the beginning and end of a mandate as well as stricter rules on the acceptance of gifts. In addition, significantly more meetings with lobbyists must be published. According to Transparency International, this does not go far enough. The main problem has not been addressed: "The culture of impunity and the lack of integrity," said Hinds.
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- Despite the stricter transparency rules implemented by the EU Parliament following the scandal, Transparency International maintains that the culture of impunity and lack of integrity has not been addressed.
- Shari Hinds from Transparency International voiced concerns that without changing the culture in Parliament, corruption scandals like the one involving Eva Kaili could happen again.
- The allegations against Eva Kaili included membership in a criminal organization, money laundering, and corruption.
- The mastermind of the scandal, Antonio Panzeri, was a long-term member of the EU Parliament before starting a non-governmental organization.
- Investigators found large sums of cash in both Panzeri's apartment and Kaili's home during the investigation, further fueling the corruption allegations.
- The German Press Agency reported that Eva Kaili, anxiety-ridden about her imprisonment and separation from her daughter, repeatedly denounced the harsh prison conditions in Belgium.
- Investigators are now relying on Antonio Panzeri's testimony as a key witness, owing to his agreement with the public prosecutor's office, which includes reduced prison time in exchange for his cooperation.
- The European Parliament, several of its members, and Kaili's partner, Francesco Giorgi, are also under investigation for their roles in the money laundering and bribery scandal, according to the German Press Agency.
Source: www.stern.de
