the detention of MEPs Eva Kaili and Marc Tarabella is extended

Belgian justice extended once again, Friday, March 3, the pre-trial detention of Eva Kaili and Marc Tarabella, two elected members of the European Parliament suspected of corruption for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco. “The preventive detention of these two suspects has been extended by two and one month respectively”announced the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office.

Eva Kaili, imprisoned for three months, and Marc Tarabella, charged and imprisoned on February 11, both deny the charges. They had appealed against their continued detention decided on February 16. I’lawyer for Marc Tarabella reaffirmed on Friday that his client was “innocent”. “He has nothing to reproach himself for and has never received any money or gifts in exchange for his opinions”he insisted.

In this investigation, three people, including Eva Kaili and Marc Tarabella, are in pre-trial detention in Belgium. They are suspected of having interceded in favor of foreign powers in the decisions of the European Parliament for several years, in return for payments of money. A former MEP, Pier Antonio Panzeri, is also detained in Belgium. Finally, a fourth suspect, the Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino, was arrested and then placed under house arrest on February 11 in Italy.