While Qatar 2022 journey is still ongoing, the European Parliament took a first step Tuesday in efforts to restore its credibility, amid allegations of corruption linked to World Cup host Qatar, moving to ditch one of its own vice presidents.
Eva Kaili, 44, one of the parliament’s 14 vice presidents, was among four people arrested and charged by investigators in Belgium over the bribery and corruption scandal.
It comes after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday that the allegations claiming they had received money and gifts from Qatar were of the “utmost concern”.
Belgian police searched 19 homes and parliamentary offices in raids from Friday to Monday as part of their investigation and seized computers, mobile phones and cash, some of which was found in a suitcase in a hotel room.
The parliament’s president, Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola, convened the leaders of political groups before calling on MEPs to vote “on the early termination of office of Vice President Eva Kaili”.
A Belgian judge will decide tomorrow whether to maintain her and three co-accused in custody pending her trial.
She was arrested last week during a series of raids on the homes and offices of several MEPs and their assistants or associates carried out by Belgian graft investigators.
