Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella is being interrogated in custody in connection with the Qatargate scandal. This was confirmed by the federal prosecutor's office.
Tarabella, who has always said he was not involved in the disputed facts, was taken this morning at six from his home in Anthisnes, in the province of Liège. "Finally, I've been waiting for you for two months, now I can be heard," he allegedly said to the policemen.
The Belgian politician had been called into question in the investigation by the declarations of Antonio Panzeri , the former Italian MEP who is already in prison after having negotiated a one-year sentence.
The MEP, who was expelled from the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, had already had his parliamentary immunity revoked on 2 February . The same measure was also adopted against the Italian deputy Andrea Cozzolino.
The accusation is that he received money from the governments of Qatar and Morocco to influence European policy, especially in the field of human rights.
This afternoon the investigating judge will decide whether to transform the detention into arrest.
(Unioneonline/vl)