MEP in £1.3m scandal asked her father to get rid of money, lawyer says
MEP in £1.3m scandal asked her father to get rid of money that landed her in court, lawyer says
- Greek MEP Eva Kaili, 44, is accused by police of accepting bribes from Qatar
- Officers uncovered as much as £1.3million following a series of raids last week
- Former TV anchor Kaili admitted she asked her father to get rid of 750,000 euros
- Kiali is still in custody and has been sacked as deputy speak of the EU parliament
A Greek MEP accused of taking bribes from Qatar has admitted she asked her father to dispose of a suitcase with 750,000 euros of ‘dirty money’.
Eva Kaili, a 44-year-old former TV anchor, blames her husband, Francesco Giorgi, 35, for obtaining the money. But she says she told her father Alexandros Kailis to take the cash from her home.
‘She had two options: One was to turn her husband in to the police; the second was to take the money to its owner,’ said her lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos.
He said the Left-wing MEP had referred to the stash as ‘dirty money’. The 750,000 euros was seized by Belgian police when they stopped Mr Kailis on December 9 at a five-star hotel in Brussels during his alleged bid to return it.
Prosecutors suspect Greek MEP Eva Kaili (pictured) and three others accepted bribes from the World Cup host in a bid to influence EU policymaking
This handout picture released on December 13, 2022 by the Belgian Federal Police shows the money seized at the home of Italian former European Parliament member Pier Antonio Panzeri and at Greek EU parliament vice president Eva Kaili’s flat and in her father’s hotel room
This undated photo shows Greek European Parliament vice president Eva Kaili (R) and her partner Francesco Giorgi
Reacting to the scandal, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban last night vowed to ‘drain the swamp’ in Brussels
Authorities recovered as much as £1.3million in a series of raids last week. The EU’s worst ever corruption scandal focuses on allegations that Qatar bought influence with bribes and gifts.
Miss Kaili, who is in custody, has been sacked from her role as deputy speaker of the EU parliament.
She will appear in court later today to plead her innocence and to ask to be allowed to spend Christmas with her daughter who is two.
MEPs enjoy lavish perks unheard of in the private sector. They include chauffeur-driven limousines, business class air travel, and a healthcare scheme that allows them to claim for everything from Viagra to cosmetic surgery.
Reacting to the scandal, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban last night vowed to ‘drain the swamp’ in Brussels.
Mr Orban, a staunch Eurosceptic, went as far to say that the European Parliament should be abolished.
‘Hungarians would like the European Parliament to be dissolved,’ he said.
‘The degree to which the reputation of the European Parliament in Hungary has been damaged (by the scandal) is easy to answer: not at all, because it couldn’t have been any
Source: Read Full Article