The Qatar-European Parliament bribery
scandal dubbed Qatargate is not an Italian Job but a Socialist
one, Premier Giorgia Meloni said at hey year end press
conference Thursday referring to the political affiliation of
the alleged protagonists.
"One one thing has made me very annoyed: many international
colleagues define these facts with the phrase 'Italian job', as
if it was a stain on our nation," she said.
"The affair does not concern only Italians, but also Belgians,
Greeks and people from other nations. If anything, it is a party
issue, a socialist job. If it had (other parties involved) it
could otherwise have been a conservative job.
"It concerns a political family but not Italy. It is about
defending the pride and honour of the nation I represent from
attacks. "Responsibilities are transversal not between parties
but between nations".
Greek MEP Eva Kaili has blamed Italian former MEP Antonio
Panzeri, both members of Socialist and Democrats caucus, for the
huge quantities of cash found in her home after they were both
arrested this month in Belgium in relation to the so-called
Qatargate scandal.
Panzeri and Kaili have been charged with corruption for
involvement in alleged efforts by Qatar and perhaps other
countries to condition EU affairs via bribery.
A total of around 1.5 million euros in cash has been seized by
Belgian prosecutors from the homes of Kaili and Panzeri and from
a suitcase in the possession of Kaili's father
Kaili was removed from her position as European Parliament vice
president after the scandal exploded.
Two other Italians, Francesco Giorgi, an assistant to Democratic
Party (PD) MEP Andrea Cozzolino and Kaili's partner, and
Niccolo' Figa' -Talamanca, the secretary general of the No Peace
Without Justice NGO, have also been charged in relation to the
case.
Kaili's lawyer denied media reports that the MEP, who has been
in jail since December 9, had confessed to prosecutors to
telling her father to hide packs of banknotes and to being aware
of alleged illegal conduct by Giorgi.
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