Former MP Panzeri and 3 other Italians are under investigation in Brussels on suspicion of corruption

The Belgian judiciary launched a wave of searches in Brussels this morning as part of an investigation into alleged corruption in the EU Parliament and the existence of an organization infiltrated within the European Parliament, suspected of interference in EU policy and corruption on the part of Qatar. Local newspapers Le Soir and Knack make it known exclusively by revealing that among the suspects would also be four Italians🇧🇷

According to the hypotheses of the investigators of the Belgian Federal Public Ministry, reported by the two newspapers, it is suspected that the gulf country where is the world cup taking place tried to influence economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by bribing politicians and MEPs

“The Federal Criminal Police carried out 16 surveys (at 14 different addresses) in different municipalities in Brussels. In particular in Ixelles, Schaerbeek, Crainhem, Forest and Bruxelles-Ville. These searches were carried out within the scope of an extensive investigation into alleged acts of criminal organization, corruption and money laundering” confirmed by the Belgian Public Ministry without, however, indicating the names of those involved or that of the Gulf country which, upon payment of “large sums of money or offering significant gifts to third parties who hold a significant political and/or strategic position in the European Parliament”, would have interfered in EU policies.

The investigation, launched in mid-July 2022 and considered very sensitive, has so far been conducted with the utmost discretion for more than four years by the Central Office for the Repression of Corruption (OCRC).

According to Belgian press reports, among the suspects are former Democratic congressman Pier Antonio Panzeri, the recently elected general secretary of the International Confederation of Trade Unions (Ituc) Luca Visentini, as well as an NGO director and a European parliamentary assistant – all Italian. Stops and searches would have taken place for them.

Panzeri was an MEP for three terms, from 2004 to 2019. panzeri he was elected to the Eurochamber at United on the olive tree list and was reconfirmed in Strasbourg in the 2009 European elections. In 2014 he was elected MEP for the third time, on the Democratic Party lists, but in 2017 he left the Democrats to join Article I. he held various positions and was, among other things, chairman of the subcommittee on human rights. Luca Visentini has been the point of reference for European trade unions for several years. In 2015 he was elected secretary general of the ETUC, or the confederation of European trade unions, and in 2019 he was reconfirmed. Finally, he was appointed general secretary of Ituc (International Trade Union Confederation), the largest trade union center in the world.