The President of the European Parliament (EP), Roberta Metsola, announced this Thursday the beginning of a “broad reform” of the control mechanisms in that institutionin response to the scandal that led to the arrest of Greek MEP Eva Kaili, embroiled in a corruption case for the alleged payment of bribes by Qatar.
After speaking before a summit of European Union leaders, Metosla said: “As of today I am preparing a comprehensive reform package that should be ready in the new year. This will include strengthening whistleblower protection systems.”
He added that this package of reforms will also focus on “a prohibition [de acceso] from all unofficial friendship groups; a review of our code of conduct rules, and a full review of how we interact with third countries.”
Metsola stressed that in the current regulations there are “fissures” that must be resolved and gave the example of the activity of former members of the European Parliament, on “who is on the transparency list, or who can enter the European Parliament”.
The idea of reform in the Parliament of the European Union (EU) was raised by Metsola and the heads of different blocks this Tuesday, after uncovering the corruption scandal that splashes the Eurochamber over the weekend.
The arrest of the deputy
Kaili, 44 years old and one of the 14 vice-presidents of the EP, was arrested last Friday in Brussels after the Belgian Police carried out some twenty searches of the headquarters of the European legislature in that city and at the homes of several MEPs.
According to European media, In Kaili’s home, the authorities seized about 600,000 euros in cash. Also They found “several hundred thousand euros” in the suitcase of the father of the Greek socialist in a hotel in the European capital and another 150,000 euros in the accommodation of a third person.
Three other people, including his partner, were arrested on suspicion of receiving large sums of money from a “Persian Gulf State”, which would be Qatar.to defend interests in Parliament, while his father, arrested on Friday, was released.
Metsola said Thursday that he received a formal invitation from Qatar to visit that country for the soccer World Cup.but that he declined the invitation.
“I rejected it because I have concerns regarding that country,” Metsola said.who added that he also rejected a request by Qatari representatives to speak before the plenary of the European Parliament.
For his part, Qatar strongly denied the accusations.but a judicial source in Belgium confirmed that it was this country that was at the center of the Belgian investigation, the AFP news agency reported.
Meanwhile, Kaili remains in prison in Belgium.
Her detention was to be examined last Wednesday by a court in Brussels, but according to her lawyer, André Risopoulos, she could not appear due to a strike at the prison where she is being held.
So, at the request of the defense, it was agreed to postpone the hearing until next Thursday.
