EU Lawmaker Cozzolino Charged in Corruption Probe

Facts

• Belgium's prosecutor office on Wednesday said that EU parliament member Andrea Cozzolino had been extradited to Belgium and charged with public corruption, criminal organization, and money laundering in relation to alleged involvement in the cash-for-influence “Qatargate” scandal.¹
• The socialist MEP for Italy's center-left Democratic Party flew into Belgium on Monday for questioning, after Rome agreed to extradite him last month. Cozzolino was arrested earlier this year on an international warrant.²
• Upon his arrival in Brussels, Cozzolino underwent a five-hour interrogation by Judge Michel Claise, who stepped down from the probe into "Qatargate" shortly after. His successor, Judge Aurélie Dejaiffe released the suspect from house arrest under conditions on his travel and communication.³
• Claise withdrew from the case amid concerns over conflicts of interest, as his son runs a business with the son of the Belgian socialist MEP Marie Arena, whose name has often emerged in relation to investigations.⁴
• Though restricted from making contact with other suspects, Cozzolino will be able to rejoin the other two MEPs charged over the scandal — the Belgian Marc Tarabella and the Greek Eva Kaili — in the European Parliament.³
• The “Qatargate” scandal erupted in December, when a series of raids found over €1.5M in cash that was linked to corruption. Several politicians were subsequently detained, shocking the EU. Both Qatar and Morocco deny any involvement in the alleged bribery scheme.⁵

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²Euractiv, ³POLITICO, ⁴European Conservative, and ⁵Le Monde.fr.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by Euronews. The investigation into the Qatargate scandal shows overwhelming evidence that Cozzolino, along with other European politicians, accepted bribes from Qatar and Morocco in exchange for influence. Even his assistant accused him of accepting money from both countries. Now justice must proceed as corrupt European lawmakers stand trial.
• Narrative B, as provided by Brussels Times. Andrea Cozzolino has been a fierce critic of Qatar and Morocco, and would never allow monetary benefits — directly or indirectly — to influence his political decisions. He has cooperated with this investigation since the beginning and will prove his innocence.

Predictions

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