On Friday, March 3, Belgian justice again extended the pre-trial detention of two elected members of the European Parliament, Eva Kylie and Marc Darabella, suspected of corruption for the benefit of Qatar and Morocco. “The detention of these two suspects has been extended by two and one month respectively”The Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced in a press release.
The elected Greeks, who were jailed for almost three months, and the Belgian MEP, suspended from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, deny the charges. They continued to appeal against the detention, which was decided on February 16 by the Brussels Council Chamber, the court controlling the instruction.
Maxim Doller, the attorney for Mark Darabella, who was charged and jailed on February 11, reaffirmed his client’s innocence on Friday. “We will continue to fight to free an innocent man from prison (…)He had nothing to reproach himself for and never received any money or gift in exchange for his opinions.The lawyer responded in a statement to the press.
“Distressed” Banseri
Three men are currently in pre-trial detention in Belgium over the years, suspected of tipping European Parliament decisions in favor of foreign powers in exchange for payments. Besides Mme Kylie and Mr. Darabella, former MEP (2004-2019) and key figure in this file is Pier Antonio Panzeri. This is “repentance” He negotiated in exchange for a limited prison sentence.
A fourth suspect, Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino, was arrested and later placed under house arrest in Italy on February 11. He is challenging his surrender to Belgium under an international arrest warrant in Italian courts.
Finally, Parliamentary Assistant Francesco Giorgi, Mr. Close to Banseri, Mr.me Kylie, who spent more than two months in custody in Belgium, was placed under an electronic bracelet at the end of February. He was part of the first wave of arrests in Brussels on December 9, when investigators found 1.5 million euros in cash distributed in bags or suitcases.
Qatar and Morocco have vehemently denied any corruption in the past three months.
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