BRUSSELS: Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who has been charged with corruption as part of the so-called Qatargate inquiry, was released from prison and placed under house arrest on Friday.
Kaili left the Haren prison in Brussels in her lawyer’s car and was driven straight to her apartment near the European Parliament, where she has been ordered to remain pending trial while wearing an electronic tracker.
“My daughter is waiting for me, so I’m very happy that I will be with her in a bit. We’ll talk soon, thank you,” Kaili told journalists as she arrived, referring to her two-year-old child.
Kaili, a 44-year-old ex-news reader and former vice-president of the parliament, has become the public face of the corruption scandal that has rocked EU politics.
Prior to her release she had spent four months in custody and was the last of the main suspects to remain in prison detention while the Belgian probe continues.
Two others, Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella and Italian former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri were released, to their residences in Belgium on Thursday, also wearing electronic tracking bracelets.
The investigation focuses on alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to buy influence in the parliament, the European Union‘s elected assembly.
Both countries deny any involvement, as do Kaili and Tarabella. Panzeri has announced through his lawyer that he is cooperating with the investigation and admitting his role.
Kaili left the Haren prison in Brussels in her lawyer’s car and was driven straight to her apartment near the European Parliament, where she has been ordered to remain pending trial while wearing an electronic tracker.
“My daughter is waiting for me, so I’m very happy that I will be with her in a bit. We’ll talk soon, thank you,” Kaili told journalists as she arrived, referring to her two-year-old child.
Kaili, a 44-year-old ex-news reader and former vice-president of the parliament, has become the public face of the corruption scandal that has rocked EU politics.
Prior to her release she had spent four months in custody and was the last of the main suspects to remain in prison detention while the Belgian probe continues.
Two others, Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella and Italian former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri were released, to their residences in Belgium on Thursday, also wearing electronic tracking bracelets.
The investigation focuses on alleged attempts by Qatar and Morocco to buy influence in the parliament, the European Union‘s elected assembly.
Both countries deny any involvement, as do Kaili and Tarabella. Panzeri has announced through his lawyer that he is cooperating with the investigation and admitting his role.