Eva Kaili’s partner, Francesco Giorgi, has admitted to corruption and political interference in service of Morocco and Qatar. He also admitted that former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri is in charge of a criminal organization whose goal is to influence European politics in favour of Morocco and Qatar.
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[TRANSLATION]
Francesco Giorgi, the partner of Greek MEP Eva Kaili, has made confessions about corruption and interference serving Morocco and Qatar. This is according to documents from the judicial investigation that Le Soir and the Italian newspaper La Repubblica were able to see.
Following his arrest last Friday in the investigation into possible interference in the European Parliament, Francesco Giorgi was questioned by police and investigating judge Michel Claise.
Court documents that Le Soir and La Repubblica were able to consult show that Giorgi – the partner of Eva Kaili, vice president of the European Parliament – made confessions. Giorgi admitted to having been part of an organization used by both Morocco and Qatar to interfere in European affairs.
The council chamber on Wednesday confirmed Giorgi’s pre-trial detention in the federal prosecutor’s investigation into alleged criminal organization, corruption and money laundering. His partner Kaili is due to appear before the council chamber on Dec. 22.
In his confession, Francesco Giorgi admitted that his role in the “organization” was to manage the money. He additionally claimed that Pier Antonio Panzeri, the former Italian MEP, headed the alleged organization.
Asked to respond to that accusation, Panzeri’s counsel replied that he “does not have this information. Attorney Laurent Kennis: ‘My only response is that it is extraordinary that you have access to this document while we do not have access to it. This is a violation of the secrecy of the investigation’.
According to the same documents from the investigation, Francesco Giorgi suspects two people of having received money through Mr. Panzeri: Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino his Belgian colleague Marc Tarabella, both from the S&D Group.
Another search took place at Tarabella’s house on Saturday evening, in the presence of European Parliament president Roberta Metsola.
‘Mr. Tarabella does not intend to comment on alleged elements of the investigation,’ said his lawyer Maxim Töller. Tarabella “remains at the disposal of justice. He completely denies that he has ever received the slightest proposal or the slightest sum of money from anyone. In an interview with Tarabella that Knack and Le Soir published Monday, he responded similarly.
We also contacted Andrea Cozzolino asking whether or not he has received gifts or money in this case. But our e-mail remained unanswered.
Of course, the presumption of innocence always applies until a judge would rule otherwise.
Asked to comment on Giorgi’s confession and his accusations against Marc Tarabella, among others, Giorgi’s lawyer exhorts “the utmost caution” in what we might write. Without going into further detail, he indicates that “things are more nuanced than what you have been told.
When questioned during questioning about suspects who may have received money from Pier Antonio Panzeri, Giorgi said he knew nothing about Marie Arena, in whose integrity he believes.
Documents from the criminal investigation, which Le Soir and La Repubblica were able to consult, further indicate that Morocco, through its foreign intelligence agency DGED (Direction générale des études et de la documentation), would be involved in this dossier of alleged corruption. According to the documents, Panzeri, Cozzolino and Giorgi were in contact with the DGED and with Morocco’s ambassador to Poland.
Knack and Le Soir contacted Cozzolino, the Moroccan embassy in Poland and Panzeri and Giorgi’s lawyers, but they did not wish to comment.
The documents mention two more intelligence officers from Moroccan intelligence, but we were unable to contact them.
These Moroccan state representatives would be in close contact with individuals already suspected of active or passive corruption in the Qatari part of this Belgian judicial investigation.
In the House Committee on Justice on Wednesday afternoon, Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD) spoke of a ‘Gulf state’ on the one hand, and on the other hand of a ‘country that has already been mentioned in Belgium in recent years when it comes to interference’. Van Quickenborne: ‘The intelligence services of that country would play an active role in those activities of interference. The interests could be many. To name one: fishing rights. So in this case, it could be interference by bribery. Those are enormously serious charges.
According to Francesco Giorgi, at least two other MEPs also received money: Italian MEP **Andrea Cozzolino** (S&D) and Belgian MEP **Marc Tarabella** (S&D).
It’s also no surprise that the Moroccan Intelligence Service is involved. For those wondering, Brussels is infested with Moroccan spies. This is a pretty awkward situation as Morocco has long been a very important security and intelligence partner for Belgium.
end diplomatic relations with morocco now
EU needs a treason law.
the EU sends billions of € to morocco btw. nice to see some of it back
He admitted the other guy, not his wife is in charge.
This is huge news. A lot of MEP will now go down undoubtedly.
And this will make it harder for Kaili to prove her “innocence” (as she still claims).
Clean our house. And what will be reaction to those countries that bribed?