Ten European Parliament Offices Sealed Off Amid Bribery Scandal Investigation, Reports Say
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addresses the plenary during her first State of the Union speech at the European Parliament in Brussels, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Several European Parliament (EP) offices have been sealed in Strasbourg by the EP’s security services amid a corruption scandal, the European newspaper reported, citing officials.According to the European news outlet’s Tuesday report, about 10 offices of EP members have been sealed by the European Parliament’s security services, with the office of an aide to the Italian member of the EP, Pietro Bartolo, also being closed.The newspaper added that the European Commission Vice-President, Margaritis Schinas, categorically denied any connection to the corruption scandal in his first public statement after the start of the scandal.On Tuesday, Belgian media reported that during an investigation into possible corruption crimes in the European Parliament, the police found more than 1.5 million euros ($1,59 million) in cash in the house of former Italian EP member Pier Antonio Panzeri and in the house of Eva Kaili, who was stripped of her EU vice-president role on the same day, and her partner Francesco Giorgi. On December 9, Kaili and her partner were detained and their residence was searched.Last week, Belgian authorities carried out several arrests and searches in Brussels in connection with an investigation into allegations of corruption in the European Parliament associated with the holding of the World Cup in Qatar and illicit lobbying in favor of the Gulf monarchy.Following the bribery scandal, Kaili was immediately expelled from her party, the Greek Panhellenic Socialist Movement.
