Four people associated with the European parliament have been arrested in what seems to be the beginning of a major corruption scandal. The political career of Eva Kaili, a Greek politician and one of the vice presidents of the European parliament, has already been derailed. She has been suspended from office by the parliament’s president, Roberta Metsola – and thrown out from her previous parties and affiliations.
Kaili has been arrested and, according to the BBC, has had her assets frozen. It is unclear as yet whether she has been charged with anything; some media outlets say she has, others that she soon will be.
Belgian police say they have raided 16 properties and seized hard-drives, devices, and up to €600,000 (£515,000) in cash – allegedly corrupt payments from the Qatari state designed to influence policy. A spokesperson for Qatar has denied misconduct.
MEPs have been giving anonymous statements to the press all weekend, falling over each other to seem disgusted and shocked
Facts are thin on the ground at the moment, but it is clear enough that what is being alleged is extremely worrying.
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