- Matthew Murphy
- BBC news
The European Union has said it will start procedures to waive the parliamentary immunity of two MEPs involved in a corruption scandal.
Parliament Speaker Roberta Metsola said she took the step after a request from Belgian police.
But his statement did not identify the two MEPs involved.
The scandal erupted last month after a member of the European Parliament and three others were arrested on corruption and money laundering charges.
While authorities failed to mention the country behind the corruption ring, EU sources accused Qatar of running the operation.
But the Gulf State has strongly denied any allegations of misconduct, calling them unfair and “dangerously misleading.”
Metsola said it would now launch an “urgent procedure” to remove the parliamentary immunity from the two MEPs following the police request. Earlier, the European official said the scandal showed that “open, free and democratic societies are under attack”.
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Greek MP Eva Kylie accused
An EU source told the BBC that officials contacted his office on 30 December.
The application must now be presented to the entire EU Parliament on January 16, before being submitted to the body’s Legal Affairs Commission. A report on the allegations will then be prepared, before the plenary vote on the waiver of the immunity of the two MEPs.
Metsola said it intends to complete the entire process by February 13.
All Members of the European Parliament enjoy limited immunity, which means they can do their job, express their views and vote freely without living in fear of arrest or political persecution.
But Parliament can vote to strip them of that immunity after secret procedures. The trial allows accused MEPs to present evidence and defend themselves.
European Parliament spokeswoman Yasmina Yakimova said last week that the purpose of the immunity is to ensure “the functioning capacity of parliament” but stressed it was “not something that would make it easier for them to break the law”.
One of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament, Greek socialist MEP Eva Kayli, 44, was among those arrested during last month’s raids.
However, Kylie, who has denied any wrongdoing, has already been stripped of her immunity, as she was caught “in the act,” amid reports that police found large “bags of cash” in her possession.
His lawyer has denied allegations that he had accepted bribes, amid reports that €150,000 were found in his Brussels apartment.
Sources said another €600,000 was found in the house of one of the suspects and another €750,000 in a suitcase in a hotel room in Brussels.
Kylie remains in prison before the trial, together with her partner Francesco Giorgi and the former Italian deputy Pier Antonio Panziri.
In a hearing last month, it emerged that the Belgian state security service had been working on an investigation into corruption allegations for more than a year, with help from other EU countries.
