Corruption scandal: Italian socialists suspend MEP Andrea Cozzolino

Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino has been suspended by his personal occasion, the centre-left Partito Democratico (PD), till the investigation into the corruption scandal engulfing the European Parliament involves an finish.

The occasion’s nationwide assure fee introduced the choice on Friday, saying it was a “precaution” and can be “instantly enforceable.”

The suspension can be meant to “defend” the picture of Partito Democratico and permit Cozzolino to defend his personal place within the ongoing case, the assertion stated.

Cozzolino has not been charged as a part of the Belgian prosecutor’s probe into the scandal.

“I’ve not been questioned. I’ve not been searched, nor has my workplace been sealed,” the MEP instructed Italian media. “I am prepared to guard my integrity and my status in each venue.”

Nevertheless, his former parliamentary assistant, Francesco Giorgi, is in custody, collectively along with his life accomplice, Greek MEP Eva Kaili, former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, and NGO director Niccolò Figà-Talamanca.

The 4 have been charged with participation in a felony organisation, corruption and cash laundering.

They’re suspected of accepting “massive sums of cash” and “substantial items” from a Gulf nation, broadly recognized as Qatar, to be able to affect European decision-making.

The alleged cash-for-favours scheme has despatched shockwaves by means of Brussels and thrown beneath query the European Parliament’s transparency and lobbying guidelines.

Scrutiny has honed in on the parliament’s socialist group, often known as S&D, to which Kaili belonged.

Earlier this week, the S&D requested 4 of its members to step down from key positions and legislative recordsdata together with Andrea Cozzolino in addition to Marc Tarabella (Belgium), Maria Enviornment (Belgium) and Pietro Bartolo (Italy).

“We have now determined that the MEPs who’re being investigated or these whose assistants are being investigated by regulation enforcement relinquish any place of duty that they train within the Parliament and within the S&D group as lengthy proceedings are ongoing,” S&D President Iratxe García Pérez instructed reporters on Tuesday.

The transfer from Partito Democratico (PD) follows an explosive report by Reuters and Belgian newspaper Le Soir that implies Francesco Giorgi confessed to taking bribes from Qatar and put the blame on Cozzolino and Tarabella in a bid to exonerate Eva Kaili.

Giorgi stated he suspected Cozzolino, his former boss, had obtained illicit Qatari funds but it surely’s unclear if he introduced any proof to again his claims, Reuters wrote.

Cozzolino’s workplace didn’t reply to a number of requests despatched by Euronews.

In his capability as MEP, Cozzolino chaired the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the Maghreb international locations, together with the EU-Morocco, EU-Tunisia and EU-Algeria Joint Parliamentary Committees.

Enrico Letta, the chief of Partito Democratico, had beforehand described the corruption scandal as “unacceptable” and requested for “complete transparency.”