Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD: The Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who is at the center of a corruption scandal rocking the European Parliament and linked to Qatar pleaded not guilty in a Belgian court on Thursday and asked to be freed from prison.
Kaili, 44, was fully cooperating with the federal prosecutor’s investigation in Belgium and was requesting to be freed under electronic surveillance, her lawyer Andre said.
Kaili, who also worked as a newsreader in the past, was removed from her post after police raids in earlier December. She has become the face of the alleged graft case.
Kaili’s other lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told reporters on Wednesday that she felt miserable, very troubled, and betrayed by her partner and co-accused Francesco Giorgi.
Kaili not in position to damage graft case evidence
He said that things were difficult but they had strong legal arguments to get her released. He said that Kaili would not fly away and was not in a position to damage evidence in the graft case.
The Belgian police arrested her on 9 December, which searched a number of addresses and found 1.5 million euros (1.6 million US dollars) in cash. She was charged shortly afterward and has been in prison since.
Another three accused, her boyfriend Giorgi, the head of an NGO allegedly used to channel money and an ex-MEP-turned-lobbyist were also arrested. All these three suspects are Italian.
The group of four suspects is charged with corruption, criminal organization, and money laundering.
A judge in Belgian court authorized the arrest and detention of Kaili on the grounds she was allegedly caught red-handed with money, meaning her parliamentary immunity could not be invoked.
The hearing took place behind the doors.
Greece has started its own preliminary investigation into graft and money laundering.
Kaili’s hearing was conducted separately from the three other co-accused, who appeared before a court in Belgium on 14 December. On that day, the court ordered her partner Giorgi and the ex-MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri to remain in prison.
The NGO head Niccola Figa-Talamanca was ordered to wear an electronic bracelet to remain under surveillance, but that facility was also suspended on appeal.
Kaili’s lawyer argued that she did not know about the existence of 150,000 euros in cash, found in her home.
