Kaili sees daughter for the first time
Eva Kaili, a former vice president and member of the European Parliament who is facing corruption charges in Brussels over her role in what has been dubbed Qatargate, saw her daughter for the first time on Friday since she was remanded in custody last month.
The Greek politician’s 22-month-old daughter was brought to the Haren prison in Brussels by her father, Alexandros Kailis.
Kaili had submitted a request through her lawyers to be allowed to meet with her two-year-old daughter.
Previous requests were denied, with authorities citing a lack of personnel due to the holiday season.
Her lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, said on Thursday that her child would likely be used as pressure to “break” Kaili.
“It crossed my mind that they were pressuring Kaili to confess, which is why they did not let her see her child,” he said, while also claiming that Amnesty International and other rights groups pressured Belgian authorities to approve the visit.
Kaili was arrested on December 9 and charged with corruption and money-laundering, as were her three co-defendants – her partner Francesco Giorgio, the Italian former MEP Antonio Panceri and the lobbyist Niccolo Figa-Talamanca. The latter three have pleaded guilty.
