According to an exclusive report by the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, new testimony gathered by judicial authorities implicates former MEP Eva Kaili in the Qatargate corruption scandal.
The witness statement, cited by Le Soir, describes Kaili’s presence during a bribery offer connected to the purchase of an apartment in Brussels that was to be shared with her partner, Francesco Giorgi. The testimony alleges that €100,000 in cash was paid as part of the apartment’s purchase price.
Qatargate initially came to light in December 2022, when investigators found large sums of cash—reported as hundreds of thousands of euros—at Kaili’s home in Brussels. Kaili, a former PASOK MEP who held a senior role in the European Parliament, was charged with corruption and money laundering amid allegations that she promoted Qatari interests through intensive lobbying.
Both Kaili and her partner Giorgi have denied wrongdoing. Giorgi — a former aide to Italian MEPs including Antonio Panzeri and Andrea Cozzolino, who are also implicated in the wider investigation — told investigators in 2023 that his initial confessions had been made under coercion.
Le Soir reports that the prosecutor’s office regards the new testimony as a serious indicator of involvement in money laundering. The alleged €100,000 cash payment, if substantiated, would bolster suspicions of a broader corruption network through which foreign interests such as Qatar may have sought to influence decisions at the European level.
The publication of this testimony comes as the Qatargate trial is expected to move forward soon. The case could have legal consequences for those involved and broader repercussions for the European Union’s reputation internationally.
Source: Le Soir (exclusive report).
