Brussels, (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – As The scandal of Qatargate and Moroccogate still shake the Parliament, Italian media continue their leaks with more details about the next steps in the investigation. Qatar Gate is just the beginning. According to La Repubblica, next week the Brussels prosecutor will enter the “2nd phase” of the investigation with new suspects. And this time the European Parliament will be directly involved, which will have to express itself officially on the case that has been shocking Brussels and Strasbourg for three weeks.
In fact, a few hours ago an unofficial report was sent by the Belgian judges to the Bureau of the European Parliament. The report warns that the investigators are thinking of sending in a very short time the request to lift the immunity of some MEPs. This is the sign that research is making the first qualitative leap.
Brussels prosecutors are finalizing their request, which according to information currently concerns two MPs: the Italian Andrea Cozzolino and the Belgian Marc Tarabella. While, for now, it is pending what will happen with Maria Arena.
This step would inevitably lead to the scandal spreading like wildfire. New actions, new investigations, new quests. Without the waiver of immunity the judges cannot do anything. MEPs can only be approached by judicial measures in case of spontaneous proceedings. As it happened for Eva Kaili.
What is the process after the request
When the judges’ request is formally filed, the Speaker of the House, Roberta Metsola, will announce the matter to the chamber and then refer the request to the Judiciary Committee for preliminary consideration and request that the request be denied or approved. At that point – at the first opportunity – the Parliament will vote on the proposal and the decision will be approved by a simple majority.
Roberta Metsola’s intentions are, however, to offer maximum cooperation to the judges . So, if the request actually arrives next week, it is likely that the Legal Affairs Committee will deal with the matter in the week between 9 and 15 January, which is the first working days for Committees after the Christmas break. And if the request is considered quickly, the Plenary meeting in Strasbourg from January 16 will give the final opinion.
Given the attention and implications of Qatar Gate, it is hard to imagine that it would be denied permission to proceed. And if so, the “2nd phase” of the investigation will actually begin in mid-January.
But how did we get to this point?
Just re-read what the judge and secret service investigation documents say.
“In exchange for money.” There is a passage, in the information given by the Belgian services to the investigator in Brussels, Michel Claise, which clearly explains what this second phase of Qatar Gate could be: the transition from the corrupt to the corrupt . The entrance of the police into the glass building of the European Parliament. According to Belgian intelligence reports, “in exchange for money” at least one Italian MEP, Andrea Cozzolino, “had intervened in the European Parliament to promote Moroccan interests”.
“In 2019, 2020 and 2021 they would have received several hundred thousand euros from the Moroccan secret service,” they write. Now, there is currently no trace of this money in the investigation documents. Cozzolino is not under investigation and has asked to be heard immediately by Belgian judges, offering his full cooperation to prove his innocence. “It’s true,” he told Repubblica, “Giorgi was my assistant and I understand that my name ends up in this bad story. But I knew nothing about his business and above all I never received a single euro or allowance for an act contrary to my duties. We’re not kidding.”
The fact is that “Phase 2” of the research aims to verify exactly this. If true, Cozzolino was part of a group that “operates with discretion that goes beyond mere prudence, avoiding appearing too openly pro-Moroccan within the European Parliament, using coded language and hiding money in their apartments,” as the documents state.
In addition to the evidence obtained from the investigation first by the agencies and then by the Belgian police, the documents also include the statements of those arrested. Giorgi said he “assumed” Pancheri might have given Cozzolino some money.
Kayli said, regarding the money found in their home, that her partner “may be keeping something for his boss, Andrea Cozolino.” Pancheri himself tried to “nail” Cozolino: “I have no proof, but you should check the president of the Maghreb delegation, Cozolino. He is the MP whose assistant Giorgi is. Among other things, he is responsible for requesting urgent resolutions”.
Cozolino’s position is not the only one Belgian police have to verify. It is possible that the request also concerns Marc Tarabella, who was directly part of the Pancheri network. On the other hand, the situation with the other Italian MPs, the group of “friends” as defined in the documents, is different (Alessandra Moretti – the head of the delegation of the Democratic Party, Brando Benifei). Their assistants may have been part of the Pancheri network (the computers and mobile phones were seized and are currently being checked by Police technicians). But there is no indication that the MPs knew that there was not a simple NGO behind Pancheri, but countries that wanted to buy European democracy.
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