Prosecutor to open inquiry into jailed MEP
An economic prosecutor in Athens ordered a preliminary investigation into possible bribery and money laundering against jailed MEP Eva Kaili.
Kaili was arrested along with three other suspects during a police raid in Brussels, Belgium, as part of a month-long investigation into suspected bribery scandal involving a Gulf state.
Belgian prosecutors suspect Kaili and three others accepted bribes from World Cup host Qatar in a bid to influence EU policymaking.
Her lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, told Reuters on Tuesday that his client was innocent and Qatari officials have also denied any wrongdoing.
The investigation in Greece will only take place if she is not being prosecuted in Belgium for the same crimes. For this reason, economic prosecutor Christos Bardakis assigned two assistant prosecutors to request from Belgian authorities a copy of the file against Kaili. A certificate will also be requested for the procedural course of the investigation.
In Belgium she has been charged with participation in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption.
The MEP was stripped of her role as European Parliament Vice-President in the aftermath of the scandal.
