An EU lawmaker identified as a vice president of the European Union's parliament got suspended last Friday by her party due to a link to a Gulf state. A raid was done by the Belgian police that concerned influence peddling or lobbying at the EU assembly allegedly by a Gulf state.
EU Lawmaker Linked to Gulf State
The suspension of MEP Eva Kaili's membership of the S&D Group by the center-left Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament went into effect as the investigation was embarked on, reported Republic World.
Kaili, a 44-year-old ex-Greek TV news anchor, was suspended due to illegal lobbying led the home of the Greek Socialist party, Pasok-Movement for Change, to drop her. It states that what has transpired and the Belgian investigation that delved into EU corruption led to their decision, noted Times of Israel. Pasok and S&D did not share any more detail.
Her suspension happened after the police made 16 raids all over Brussels, the Belgian capital, last Friday. They were investigating the corruption and money laundering of EU officials colluding with a Gulf nation. But the federal prosecutor's office did not name what Middle Eastern country was involved.
Lobbying Scandal Detrimental to the Bloc
In a declaration, the Left group in the EU parliament insisted that what it called the unfurling Qatar lobbying scandal must be introduced to the legislature's agenda next week so further details about the incident could be established and an appropriate reaction presumed by legislators, citing Bay News 9.
Pasok vociferously tried to distance itself from remarks made by EU lawmaker Kaili at the EU parliament last month for the lobbying scandal concerning a gulf state. She praised Qatar and stated that the soccer World Cup there is proof of how sports diplomacy can genuinely accomplish a historical transition of a nation to reforms that motivated the Arab world.
During the Brussels raids, prosecutors managed to recover around 600,000 euros (USD 633,500) in cash as well as captured personal computers and cell phones, as said Belgian prosecutors. Of the four, according to Belgian authorities, one is an ex-member of the EU parliament.
Specific targets of the raid would be particular assistants working for EU lawmakers mentioned in the statement. Members of the EU assembly include a total of 705 elected members that represent all the union's 27 member states. Per lawmakers, there is a proviso for several assistants.
Prosecutors stated that federal judicial police suspected an undisclosed Gulf nation of trying to influence the financial and political judgments of the European Parliament.
This was supposedly done by paying large amounts of money or providing large gifts to third parties with a substantial political or strategic position inside the European Parliament.
The press service of the European Parliament refused to comment on the crackdowns, although an investigation was underway, but stated that the legislature was fully cooperating with Belgian authorities.
Kaili was voted into office as one of 14 vice presidents of the EU assembly in January, where she's been a member since 2014.
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