The European Parliament launched a procedure on Monday for the possible suspension of the immunity of two of its members, allegedly involved in a bribery scandal, reports Reuters.
The president of the organization, Roberta Metsola, explained that Belgium had requested the withdrawal of immunity for the Italian Andrea Cozzolino and the Belgian Marc Tarabella. The European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs will examine the petition and try to reach a conclusion within one month. Tarabella and Cozzolino, for their part, deny having committed the crime and say they are willing to waive their immunity and answer questions from the judicial authorities.
At the beginning of December several people were arrested in Brussels in connection with an investigation that focuses on the actions of an unspecified “Gulf country”, which is suspected of “influencing the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by paying of large sums of money or making large gifts”. Various media reported that it is Qatar. Later it was asserted that Morocco is also linked to the scandal.
Source: RT
