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BRUSSLES: The European Parliament stripped Greek lawmaker Eva Kaili of her senior Assembly post on Tuesday over allegations that World Cup host Qatar had bribed her to influence decision-making, charges she has denied.
Kaili, one of 14 vice presidents in the parliament, was among four people arrested and charged in Belgium over the scandal that has triggered outrage in Brussels and risks damaging the European Union’s (EU) image.
The case, in which police discovered stacks of cash, casts a shadow over the European Parliament which seeks to be a moral compass, criticising global rights abuses and taking EU governments to task over any hint of impropriety.
Qatar has denied any wrongdoing. The parliament acted quickly to loosen ties with Kaili, with 625 MEPs voting in favour of the move, only one against and two abstaining. “The integrity of @Europarl_EN comes first and foremost,” President Roberta Metsola tweeted.
Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, Kaili’s lawyer in Greece, said earlier on Tuesday: “Her position is that she is innocent, I can tell you that.” “She has nothing to do with financing from Qatar, nothing, explicitly and unequivocally,” Dimitrakopoulos told media in a first public comment.
Several EU states, including Germany, said the 27-nation union’s credibility was at stake. Countries which have faced criticism from the assembly, including EU member Hungary, said it had lost the moral high ground.
