European Union politician accused of corruption goes from prison to house arrest
Eva Kaili, a former vice president of the European Parliament accused of corruption, was released from custody on Friday. The 44 year old Greek was instead placed under house arrest.
Kaili was picked up from prison in Brussels by his lawyer and driven back to his apartment near the European Parliament. He will remain there – in an electronic anklet – until his trial begins.
– My daughter is waiting for me, so I am very happy that I will meet her soon. We’ll talk later, Kaili, who has a two-year-old daughter, told the media.
The former broadcaster and vice president has become an image of the corruption scandals that have rocked European Union politics. He was charged as part of the so-called “Qatargate” investigation and was the latest defendant to be released from prison, where he has been held for four months. Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Pier Antonio Panzeri were released on Thursday.
The case concerns mainly accusations that Qatar and Morocco have tried to buy influence in the popularly elected EU assembly. Both countries deny the accusations. So are Kaili and Tarabella. Panzeri has acknowledged his role and said he was cooperating with investigators.
(© NTB)
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