The Belgian public prosecutor is investigating suspected corruption and the influence of a Gulf state in the European Parliament. Today, 16 searches took place in Brussels in the case and four people were arrested, according to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The investigation revolves around a suspected criminal organization and allegations of corruption and money laundering.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office did not name any Gulf countries. According to the research conducted by the newspaper “Le Soir” and the magazine “Knack”, it is about Qatar.
According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Belgian police have suspected for several months that a Gulf state is trying to influence the political and economic decisions of the European Parliament. Large sums of money or gifts in kind are said to have been distributed to persons in parliament holding political or strategic positions.
She added that the operation was mainly targeting the employees of the deputies. A former member of the European Parliament was also among the participants. It was not clear at first if he was also arrested. According to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, 600,000 euros in cash and mobile phones were confiscated during the searches.
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