“Panzeri is lying, we know that”: Qatargate investigator called key witness a liar | News

A police officer working on the investigation into the bribery of MEPs by Qatar and Morocco did indeed speak to a suspect about that investigation, the Public Prosecution Service confirms. The Public Prosecution Service emphasizes that it does not simply accept the statements of a key witness, but checks whether they are correct. Moreover, an investigation into the investigation is already underway, which should determine whether it is being conducted correctly.

Panzeri is considered the hub of a network that helped Qatar and Morocco gain influence in the European Parliament. Both countries are said to have tried to influence decisions and resolutions of the European Parliament through the non-profit organization Fight Impunity. In exchange for money and other favors, Panzeri and a number of MEPs and associates tried to steer votes in favor of these countries. After his arrest, Panzeri agreed to tell the justice system everything in exchange for a lower sentence.

In this dossier, nicknamed ‘Qatargate’, Panzeri, his right-hand man Francesco Giorgi, his partner and Vice-President of the European Parliament Eva Kaili, the Brussels-Italian lobbyist Nicolo Figa-Talamanca, the Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella and the Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino were suspected. The name of PS politician Marie Arena also appears in the file, but she has not yet been charged.

Panzeri has assumed the status of regretter in the file and in his interrogations Panzeri allegedly admitted that Tarabella should receive a total of 250,000 euros by the end of the legislature, in 2024. The MEP strongly disputes this. Eva Kaili’s defense also maintains her innocence.

The Greek politician’s defense has also requested a check on the regularity of the procedure. According to her lawyers, European legal rules regarding parliamentary immunity were violated when a judicial investigation was opened and the Belgian court should have already asked for the waiver of her parliamentary immunity in the summer of 2022. The Brussels Indictment Chamber (KI) will examine the regularity of the investigation from May 14.

Francesco Giorgi and his lawyer, Pierre Monville, are now introducing a new element in those proceedings before the AI, a conversation that Francesco Giorgi had with a federal police investigator recorded without his knowledge. According to the aforementioned newspapers, that conversation took place on May 3, when investigators returned Giorgi’s mobile phone, which they had seized during a house search on April 27.

During that search, investigators had seized the notes that Giorgi had made about the case for his lawyer. The recording of the conversation, which De Standaard and La Libre Belgique were able to view, shows that Giorgi complains about this and believes that investigators had no right to confiscate the confidential correspondence between him and his lawyer.

But Giorgi also complains that the investigators appear to take Panzeri at his word. It is then that the investigator makes a number of remarkable statements: “Panzeri is lying, we know that. And we are going to do what is necessary to ensure that he loses his status as a regrettable,” he said.

And also: “Don’t believe that because he talks that we just believe him. We don’t believe anything he says. We know very well that he is tricking us. (…) That’s all going to explode. And he will have to bear the responsibility. I know he is lying to us.”