The Brussels court revokes the possibility of provisional release of one of the detainees, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, head of the NGO No Peace Without Justice
The Belgian judiciary detains the four main defendants in the ‘Qatargate’ plot. This was decided on Tuesday by the indictment chamber of the Brussels Court of Justice, which revoked the possibility that one of them, Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, head of the NGO No Peace Without Justice, will be provisionally released with an electronic bracelet.
Talamanca must now return to prison, where former Italian MP Pier Antonio Panzeri, European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, and her partner, political aide Francesco Giorgi, are staying. Panzeri appeared in court this Tuesday, which decided to maintain his incarceration until his case is reviewed on January 17. All have been charged with “membership in a criminal organization”, “money laundering” and “corruption”, crimes linked to a bribery scheme by Qatar and Morocco to influence European political decisions.
Last week, the Court of First Instance in Brussels extended the pre-trial detention of Eva Kaili, the Vice-President of the European Parliament, who was dismissed following her indictment in the corruption case under investigation by the Belgian prosecutor’s office.
The scandal has not only done serious reputational damage to the EU institutions, but has also strained relations with Qatar, which has “resolutely” rejected allegations of corruption against the country and a possible “adverse effect” on its coveted supplies of natural gas threatens to cause.
Source: La Verdad
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