The Belgian Justice extends the provisional detention of Eva Kaili for one month

BRUSELAS, 22 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Court of First Instance in Brussels has extended for one month the provisional prison for Eva Kaili, the vice-president of the European Parliament, dismissed after her indictment in the corruption case investigated by the Belgian Prosecutor for the alleged payment of bribes from Qatar to MEPs and parliamentary assistants.

Kaili appeared in court early in the morning at a hearing held a week later than the rest of the defendants, since the Greek socialist requested a postponement to prepare her defense.

Kaili's lawyers reported at the end of the hearing that she had applied for probation. Thus, they stressed that her defendant is cooperating with the investigation and rejected all charges of corruption.

However, the court has decided to keep the Greek politician in pretrial detention for at least one more month in a decision that the defendant can appeal within 24 hours, as reported by the Federal Prosecutor's Office in a statement.

Kaili's defense asked the judge this morning for his probation with an electronic bracelet since, according to his lawyers, he is collaborating with the investigation and did not participate in the corrupt network.

In statements to the press at the Palace of Justice in Brussels, one of his lawyers, André Risopoulos, previously reported that they have requested the "telematic surveillance regime" for Kaili.

Likewise, the lawyer also stated that his client rejects "all charges of corruption" against him and that he is "actively participating" in the investigation, although he did not give more details of the hearing, held behind closed doors, annoyed by the leaks. of the case that has been reported to the press and that the Belgian Prosecutor's Office is already investigating.

According to details of the investigation published during the week by the newspaper 'Le Soir', Kaili has admitted to the investigators that he asked his father to hide part of the thousands of euros that were in his home, although he denies having participated in the criminal organization. who moved the bribes.

Kaili is accused of belonging to a criminal organization, corruption and money laundering, as are her partner, the Italian MEP assistant Francesco Giorgi, and the former socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, both in pretrial detention. She is also on probation with a fourth defendant.

Giorgi, for whom the Court confirmed provisional detention on the 14th, confessed before the investigating judge his participation in an organization that allegedly received bribes from Qatar and Morocco to gain political and economic weight in the EU through its influence in the European Parliament.