Qatargate: Court says no to handing Bellini over to Belgium

(ANSA) - ROME, MAY 9 - A Milan court on Tuesday ruled against a request by Belgian prosecutors investigating the so-called Qatargate case to hand over Monica Rossana Bellini, the accountant of former MEP Antonio Panzeri, one of the central figures in the scandal.
    The Milan court of appeal said that the accusations in a European arrest warrant issued by the Belgium prosecutors, and under which Bellini was arrested in January, were "vague".
    It said requests for clarification regarding accusations of money laundering, corruption and criminal association against her had been met by "persistent silence".
    Panzeri was released to house arrest last month, having been in prison since December 9 in relation to a probe into alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to influence EU affairs via bribery.
    He has started to cooperate with Belgian prosecutors after reaching a plea bargain for a one-year jail term.
    He is one of several Italians implicated in the case.
    These include his former assistant Francesco Giorgi, the partner of Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who was removed from her position as European Parliament vice president after the scandal exploded, and Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino. (ANSA).