Belgian prosecutor seeks immunity waiver for two more Socialist MEPs

The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office requested on Tuesday that the European Parliament waive the immunity of two Italian Socialist MEPs, Alessandra Moretti and Elisabetta Gualmini, as part of the investigation into alleged bribery involving Qatari officials.

Federal prosecutor and parliamentary sources confirmed the immunity waiver request to Euronews.

Moretti and Gualmini were cited in documents at the initial stages of the investigation into the alleged corruption that emerged on December 9, 2022, but they have never been formally investigated until now.

The scandal has embroiled several lawmakers and assistants from the Socialist and Democrats group, including former European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, her partner and accredited parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi, and former MEPs Pier Antonio Panzeri, Andrea Cozzolino, Marc Tarabella, and Maria Arena, who has now been charged with membership of a criminal organisation.

So far there have been no convictions.

The federal prosecutor’s request concerning Moretti and Gualmini has been submitted to the European Parliament’s Bureau and will be presented during March’s plenary session. Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee will then be responsible for reviewing the request and formulating a proposal to accept or reject it. The Parliament’s plenary session will then hold a vote to make a final decision on the two cases.

Moretti and Gualmini were not immediately available for comment.