The Recent disclosers from the Qatargate scandal investigations involving MEP Eva Kaili have raised serious concerns about the conduct of Belgian secret services. The role of the Secret Service in the investigation has become controversial. Last December, the Belgian authorities accused Eva Kaili of corruption and found money in her house. However, the Legal team of Kaili accused the Belgian security services with evidence that they violated her parliamentary immunity, and they challenged the democratic process of the European Union.
The legal team of Kaili, including Christophe Marchand and Sven Mary, claim that the MEP’s arrest and investigation breached her parliamentary immunity. The parliamentary immunity provides a safeguard and ought to protect the MEPs from arbitrary political persecution. Moreover, the team revealed that the investigation files had no trace of Eva Kaili’s involvement in the corruption. Still, she was investigated and arrested.
Further, The lawyers have appealed to the European Parliament’s legal affairs committee to show evidence that proves their claim that Kaili’s parliamentary immunity was breached.
The legal team also questioned the discriminated treatment of Kaili compared to other persons mentioned in the investigation, such as Maria Arena, a Belgian MEP. Kaili has been subjected to unnecessary restrictive and complex handling from authorities. The cash was also found at a location linked to MEP Maria Arena, but no similar action was taken against her, and Kaili spent four months in jail. Discrimination was shown against Kaili.
This scenario questioned the Belgian justice system and secret services for their activities during the investigation. The investigating judge, Michael Claise, was also forced to step down in June following allegations of bias, raising more suspicions of this case. It was revealed that the judge’s son was a business partner to the son of another suspect, Maria Arena, in a medicinal cannabis company. Yet no action or investigation has been taken against the judge for their alleged links with the suspect.
Reports indicate that the Belgian police officers went undercover in the parliament and observed the MEP’s activities during parliamentary proceedings. This event also demands appropriate action from parliament for attacking democracy.
It is a potential misconduct of secret services and points to flaws in the Belgian justice system. The violation of parliamentary immunity and suspicious investigative practices by Belgian authorities demands a thorough examination of the case. As more information unfolds, the European Parliament has yet to take any action, so it remains to be seen how it will respond to these serious accusations.
