An ex-Socialist MEP has admitted to being involved in a bribery scandal plaguing the European Parliament, with the official now promising to share “revealing” details with authorities regarding criminality within Brussels.
Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former MEP for the left-wing Socialist Group within the European Parliament, has reportedly pleaded guilty to playing a part in the bribery scandal plaguing Brussels, multiple reports on Wednesday said.
Nicknamed Qatargate due to the scandal allegedly involving EU representatives taking large amounts of cash from Moroccan and Qatari officials, the allegations of criminal collusion and bribery has greatly damaged the public perception of the European Parliament within the bloc, with some political leaders even taking the opportunity to call for its abolition.
So far, the scandal has largely revolved around left-wing politicians in Europe, with the most notable individual implicated being Socialist Eva Kaili, a former Vice-President of the parliament who has since been stripped of her position and put behind bars while awaiting trial.
Now, another socialist figure, Pier Antonio Panzeri, has also been confirmed to have been involved in the scandal, with POLITICO reporting the man as admitting his guilt to authorities on Tuesday as part of a plea deal.
Panzeri’s lawyer, Laurent Kennes, has reportedly confirmed this, saying that his client “acknowledges having participated in acts of corruption”.
“He also acknowledges participating in a criminal organization, and according to the terms used by the public prosecutor’s office, he acknowledges being the leader or one of the leaders of the criminal organization,” Laurent reportedly added.
What’s more, Panzeri has also reportedly vowed to share “revealing” details of the scandal with authorities in Belgium as part of the plea agreement, something that has been described as an “important development” by officials.
“This (deal) refers to an undertaking whereby a repentant to make substantial, revealing, truthful and complete statements regarding the involvement of third parties and, if applicable, his or her own involvement regarding criminal offences within the covered case,” the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office reportedly said.
Coming to light around the end of 2022, the Qatargate scandal could likely not come at a worse time for EU authorities, who spent a large portion of last year accusing other officials in the likes of Poland and Hungary of corruption over their own domestic policy reforms.
Such accusations have largely been undermined by recent investigations by authorities, with police in Belgium finding huge stacks of cash hidden in bags and suitcases across the European capital of Brussels.
With multiple left-wing politicians having now been forced to step back from their position over the scandal, many of those frequently lambasted by the union in the past have used Qatargate as an opportunity to strike back, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in particular taking multiple pot-shots at the institution.
“The recent [European Parliament] scandal is revealing,” he wrote in one online post. “The EP’s anti-corruption safeguards have failed miserably.”
“If we want to restore public trust, it’s time to abolish the European Parliament,” he went on to say.
He has since joked that, with ever more left-wing MEPs being implicated in the scandal by the day, there may soon be enough EU officials behind bars to start a sports team.
“At this rate, soon there will be enough corrupt MEPs behind bars to form their own football team in prison,” he joked. “They could even make it to the [Euro 2024 football tournament].”