The Brussels Court decided to stay the detention of Antonio Panzeri. Laurent Kennes, the lawyer of the former deputy of the Democratic Party and First Article, who was arrested as part of the Qatargate investigation last December 9, told the Belgian Rtbf channel that he could go home with an electronic wristband. He has to get out of jail in the next few hours or days.
On the day of his arrest, Belgian investigators led by investigating judge Michel Claise had found hundreds of thousands of euros in cash in his Brussels apartment. Panzeri will soon admit that it is the fruit of the corruption of three non-EU states: Morocco, Qatar and Mauritania.
In January, Panzeri signed a statement of remorse with the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office, using Belgian law that allows for the benefit of a negotiated and reduced sentence in exchange for full information on crimes committed by the person concerned and his accomplices.
Two people were imprisoned as part of the Qatargate scandal: Eva Kaili, former vice-president of the European Parliament, and Marc Tarabella, Belgian Member of the European Parliament. Kaili’s friend and Panzeri’s former parliamentary deputy, Francesco Giorgi, was released from prison at the end of February and was fitted with an electronic wristband. Member of the European Parliament Andrea Cozzolino is under house arrest in Naples and awaits his sentence due to possible surrender to the Belgian authorities.
Source: Today IT
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
