Police raid EU Parliament offices of 2 Qatargate suspects

BRUSSELS — Belgian police on Tuesday conducted searches at the European Parliament offices of two MEPs charged with corruption in the cash-for-influence scandal dubbed Qatargate.

According to two witnesses, several police officers conducted searches at the offices of Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino and Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella around midday on the 15th floor of the Parliament’s Altiero Spinelli building.

Eric Van Duyse, spokesperson for Belgium’s federal prosecutor, confirmed the fresh raids had taken place Tuesday in the Parliament. Authorities have accused both MEPs of being linked to an alleged bribery ring involving countries such as Qatar and Morocco.

Tarabella recently resumed his work as an MEP after spending months in jail and under house arrest between February and May this year. His office, which was sealed off by police along with Cozzolino’s in February, is now reopened to allow him to carry out his parliamentary work.

Cozzolino, however, is still appealing his extradition to Belgium from Italy and his office remained sealed after the fresh raids on Tuesday.

Both MEPs were booted out of their Socialists and Democrats group after their arrests and have maintained their innocence throughout.

The development came at a moment when the momentum appeared to be draining from the Qatargate investigation, with all chief suspects except Cozzolino and the alleged ringleader Pier Antonio Panzeri freed from jail and house arrest.

The other current MEP charged with corruption in the scandal, Eva Kaili, is attempting to mount an unlikely political comeback.

Parliament’s press service declined to comment on the raids, only noting that it “fully cooperates with the judicial authorities.”