Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Qatargate: Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino arrested, fights extradition to Belgium

Qatargate: Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino arrested, fights extradition to Belgium

The lawmaker was detained in Naples at the request of the Belgian authorities.
Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino was arrested on Friday night in the probe connected to alleged corruption in the European Parliament, his lawyer confirmed to POLITICO. He’s back home now.

“Our client was arrested yesterday based on a European arrest warrant issued by investigative judge [Michel] Claise while he was at the hospital where he was taken care of for heart problems,” his lawyer Dimitri De Béco said in a statement shared with POLITICO, confirming earlier reports by ANSA and Reuters.

Cozzolino is now back home, De Béco added, but is, according to ANSA, under house arrest. He has opposed his extradition to Belgium, due to the Belgian justice “way of proceeding,” the statement says. Cozzolino’s lawyers team claimed to have written multiple times to the judge to be heard since December 21, but never got a response.

The extradition hearing of Cozzolino will take place on Tuesday morning, ANSA reports.

The arrest happened at the behest of the Belgian authorities, who began an operation early Friday morning with the detention of Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella. Both Cozzolino and Tarabella saw their immunity waived in a plenary session last Thursday, paving the way for Belgian investigators to detain them.

The Belgian police also conducted new raids on Friday, connected to both Cozzolino and Tarabella.

Earlier Friday, Belgian police searched Cozzolino’s house in Brussels, and sealed, but not searched, his office in the European Parliament, the Belgian prosecutor’s spokesperson confirmed. Also, a safe deposit box of Tarabella’s at a bank in Liège was searched, as well as multiple offices in the Walloon town of Anthisnes, where Tarabella is still mayor, the prosecutor said in a press release.

According to parliamentary reports, potential violations of Belgian law by Tarabella and Cozzolino could include corruption, participation in a criminal organization and money laundering. However, in its communication on Friday, the prosecutor’s services mentioned only corruption and money laundering.

Late last week, the Belgian investigative judge leading the case released from jail one of the four original detainees in the case, Niccolò Figà-Talamanca — secretary-general of No Peace Without Justice, one of the nongovernmental organizations linked to the Qatargate corruption scandal.

Three other suspects — former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, her partner Francesco Giorgi and former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri — are still in jail. In January, Panzeri struck a deal to cooperate with the investigators.

Both Tarabella and Cozzolino deny any wrongdoing.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
Senate Democrats Move to Censure Trump Over Qatar Jet Gift
Hamas Releases Last Living US Hostage from Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict
India and Pakistan Agreement on Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Tensions
Trump's Upcoming Middle East Trip Excludes Israel, Raising Concerns Among Israeli Officials
Trump's Upcoming Visit to Gulf Nations: Investment and Security at the Forefront
Cardinal Robert Prevost Elected as Pope Leo XIV, Marking a Historic Papacy
India-Pakistan conflict may be first test for Chinese military tech
Common Sense Returns to Britain's Legal System: UK Supreme Court Declares a Woman Is… a Woman
Warren Buffett to Step Down as Berkshire CEO After Nearly 60 Years
Trump Shares AI-Generated Image of Himself as… Pope, Prompting Outrage Reaction
Amazon Launches Satellite Internet Service Amidst Competition with SpaceX
Trump Administration Removes National Security Adviser Mike Waltz Amid Signal Chat Controversy
Massive Explosion at Iran's Bandar Abbas Port Linked to Suspicious Chemical Shipments
Pope Francis Laid to Rest in Rome as World Leaders Attend Funeral
Not Child’s Play: How Competitive Gaming Became a Global Economic Empire
California Surpasses Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy
Former U.S. Congressman George Santos sentenced to eighty-seven months for wide-ranging fraud
Israel Considers Limited Strikes on Iran's Nuclear Facilities Amid Diplomatic Efforts
Saudi Arabia Offers Max Verstappen Unprecedented Deal to Join Aston Martin
Global Pistachio Shortage Amid Rising Demand for 'Dubai Chocolate'
IMF Predicts No Global Recession Amid Trade Tensions
Removing the Political Rival Means Diminishing What's Remaining of Turkey's Economy
White House Investigates Security Breach After Journalist Accidentally Added to Secret Yemen Strike Chat
UAE Pledges $1.4 Trillion Investment Strategy in the United States
Revealing the Electromagnetic Characteristics of the Great Pyramid of Giza
Netanyahu Dismisses Shin Bet Chief Amid 'Loss of Trust' and 'Qatargate' Corruption Investigations Involving Netanyahu's Advisors
U.S. Approves $100 Million Precision Rocket Sale to Saudi Arabia Amid Ongoing Yemen Conflict
High-ranking ISIS Official Neutralized in Collaborative Operation in Iraq
Netanyahu Rejects UN Reports on Gaza as 'Untrue'
Six Americans Freed from Detention in Kuwait
Syria Wraps Up Military Campaign Amid Extensive Violence and Large-Scale Killings.
Trump Speaks Out on the Arrest of Pro-Palestinian Student at Columbia University
Demonstrations Break Out as Individual Ascends Big Ben with Palestinian Flag
Over 300,000 Refugees Expected to Return to Syria Amid Ongoing Crisis
Trump Urges Nuclear Talks with Iran as Tensions Escalate
US Launches AI Initiative to Track Foreign Nationals' Social Media for Terrorist Support.
US Initiates Direct Discussions with Hamas During Hostage Situation
US Government Dismisses Arab Leaders' Plan for Gaza Reconstruction
US Engages in Unprecedented Covert Talks with Hamas Regarding Hostages
Arab Leaders Approve $53 Billion Initiative for Gaza Reconstruction
Iran's Enriched Uranium Stockpile Reaches Levels for Six Nuclear Devices
Israel Indicates Willingness to Resume Military Operations in Gaza
Hamas Lets Go of Last Israeli Hostage as Part of Ceasefire Deal
Trump Adjusts Gaza Resettlement Plan Following Rejections from Regional Leaders
The negotiation teams of Trump and Putin meet directly, establishing the groundwork for a significant advance.
Israeli Minister Urges Hamas to Surrender and Depart from Gaza.
Iran Considers Moving Its Capital Due to Urban Difficulties
×