Eva Kaili asks a Belgian court docket to launch her from detention underneath digital surveillance.
A Greek MEP on the centre of a corruption scandal rocking the European Parliament has protested her innocence in a Belgian court docket, asking to be launched from detention.
Eva Kaili, 44, was “cooperating in an energetic method” with the Belgian federal prosecutor’s investigation and was requesting to be launched underneath digital surveillance, her lawyer, Andre Risopoulos, stated exterior the Brussels courtroom on Thursday.
The decide, who was solely deciding custody phrases and never weighing the case itself, was anticipated to provide a call later within the day.
Kaili, a former newsreader booted from her put up as parliamentary vp after police raids earlier this month, has change into the face of the alleged corruption case.
One other of Kaili’s legal professionals, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, on Wednesday informed reporters she feels depressing, “very troubled” and betrayed by her boyfriend and co-accused Francesco Giorgi.
“Issues are tough, however we have now very sturdy authorized arguments to set her free,” he stated, arguing that Kaili is “not a flight danger and never able to destroy proof”.
She was arrested on December 9 as Belgian police, looking out quite a lot of addresses, discovered 1.5 million euros ($1.6m) in money. Kaili was charged shortly afterwards, and has been in detention since.
One other three suspects – her associate Giorgi; the top of an NGO allegedly used to funnel cash; and a former MEP-turned-lobbyist, all of them Italian – had been additionally arrested.
All 4 are charged with “prison organisation, corruption and cash laundering”.
A Belgian decide authorised Kaili’s arrest and detention on grounds she was allegedly caught red-handed with money, which means her traditional parliamentary immunity couldn’t be invoked.
Prosecutors stated that they had suspected for months {that a} Gulf state was making an attempt to affect selections in Brussels.
As numerous media shops reported that Qatar was the Gulf state on the centre of the allegations, a Qatari official informed Al Jazeera the nation “categorically rejects any makes an attempt to affiliate it with accusations of misconduct”.
The MEP denies receiving cash from Qatar in change for influencing selections affecting it within the EU parliament.
Thursday’s listening to passed off behind closed doorways.