€1 million in cash and counting… How much did it take to buy Brussels?

More sums of cash in suitcases, MEPs ‘standing aside’, but it’s all Qatar’s fault says EP President

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2022

The stench of corruption is pervading the corridors of the EU’s Parliament

Belgian police yesterday raided more homes of EU parliamentarians, assistants, and lobbyists, as well as seizing computers and taping off offices, as yet more bags of cash were discovered in the corruption scandal engulfing the EU Parliament. The tally now exceeds €1 million – and that’s only what the police have found so far.

Yesterday the questions even spread to the mighty EU Commission, regarding the conduct of EU Commissioner Schinas in praising Qatar’s human rights record.

As we first reported in the early hours of Sunday morning, we expect more arrests in the coming days and weeks, with many more in and around the EU Parliament implicated.

From ‘EU Poster Girl’ to ‘Jailbird’

EU Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili has now swapped her luxury Brussels apartment for a jail cell in a Brussels prison.

From this

To this

We understand Ms Kaili is currently being held in the 'Prison de Saint-Gilles' in Brussels. This jail was constructed in 1884. We must stress that she has not been convicted of any crime and is not due in court until tomorrow.

How much does it take to buy Brussels?

The sums are mounting up, even though they would be considered small change by many Arab governments.

The cash haul to date is growing: €600,000 seized from a private home, plus “several hundred thousand euros” in a suitcase discovered in a Brussels hotel room, plus €150,000 at Kaili’s apartment. Yesterday the EU Vice-President family’s assets in Greece were frozen by Greek authorities, affecting all her immediate family members.

Many others in the EU Parliament – MEPs, assistants and lobbyists – have been caught up in the ongoing investigations.

Questions now surround an EU Commission Vice-President

The EU Commission “Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life”, Margaritas Schinas - whom we remember from his previous role as the anti-British spokesman of the EU Commission - was the subject of aggressive questioning yesterday by the (pro-EU) press corps in Brussels.

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen declined to answer questions about him, to the fury of the baying journalists. Instead a statement was made that:-

“As vice president responsible for sport, European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas was invited to the World Cup 2022 opening game together with U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres and IOC President Thomas Bach who were also present.”
- EU Commission statement, Mon 12 Dec 2022

Mr Schinas’s subsequent tweets have raised eyebrows when he was effusive about Qatar’s labour reforms. As part of our in-depth research on Sunday night Facts4EU.Org uncovered the following photo of EU Commission Vice-President Schinas in Qatar, obtained from the Qatari Foreign Ministry.

This photo was taken on 20 November 2022.

To be clear, no specific allegations or charges have been brought against Mr Schinas and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stands fully behind him.

“It’s all the fault of autocratic third countries,” says EU Parliament President

At a special session of the EU Parliament in Strasbourg yesterday, its President Roberta Metsola sought to put the blame for this scandal on “autocratic third countries”.

Here she is yesterday:-

“Make no mistake. The European Parliament, dear colleagues, is under attack. European democracy is under attack. And our way of open, free, democratic societies are under attack.
“The enemies of democracy for whom the very existence of this Parliament is a threat, will stop at nothing. These malign actors, linked to autocratic third countries have allegedly weaponised NGOs, Unions, individuals, assistants and Members of the European Parliament in an effort to subdue our processes.
“Their malicious plans failed. Our services, of whom I am incredibly proud, have been working with relevant national law enforcement and judicial authorities to break up this alleged criminal network for some time.

“We have acted in sync with authorities to ensure that all legal steps are respected, that all information is preserved and that, where needed, IT equipment is secured, offices are sealed and house searches are able to be carried out. I accompanied a Belgian judge and police as required by the Belgian constitution to a house search last weekend.
“As a precautionary measure, again with full respect for the presumption of innocence, I have stripped the Vice-President mentioned of any tasks and responsibilities related to their role as Vice-President and I have convened an extraordinary meeting of the Conference of Presidents to launch an Article 21 procedure to bring their term as Vice-President to an end in an effort to protect the integrity of this House.
“I was also scheduled today to announce the opening of the negotiating mandate for the visa-waiver report with Qatar and Kuwait. In light of the investigations, this report must be sent back to committee.”
- Roberta Metsola, EU Parliament, Strasbourg, Mon 12 Dec 2022

Observations

There is no doubt that the Qatari government engaged in a very effective PR campaign to improve Qatar’s image ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Indeed their efforts were worthy of the EU Commission’s propaganda at its best.

Investigations are continuing on a daily basis now, involving the Belgian, Greek and Italian authorities. We think it inevitable that further charges will follow, even if some of those involved have now had ample time to hide or dispose of any evidence.

One thing is now certain, however. The only institution in the EU with any vague claim to being democratic – the EU Parliament – has now been irrevocably tainted with corruption on a major scale.

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[ Sources: EU Parliament | EU Commission | Qatar Foreign Ministry ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Tues 13 Dec 2022

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Reader Comments 19

1. Old Albion , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 08:10:

When some questions were raised as to who paid for Bojo's 10 Downing st accommodation re-decoration, the BBC were all over it for days and weeks.
So far this appalling EU scandal has barely warranted a mention by the BBC. I look forward to their in-depth examination of the disgraceful allegations of financial corruption we have seen over the last few days............

2. Nigel Skeet , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 11:41:

Isn’t the UK classed as a third country according to the EU ? Probably blaming Brexit for this

3. terence patrick hewett , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 12:03:

Fog in the Channel: Continent cut off.

4. Buster , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 12:59:

The BBC has covered the story extensively. I say good good for the European authorities for discovering this. Let’s hope any alleged wrongdoing is fully investigated and anyone found guilty is appropriately punished.
It would be good if here we could investigate and punish the corrupt Tory Brexitists.

5. Old Albion , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 13:03:

Absolute BS again from 'Buster' The truth about his wonderful EU is at last coming out. I'm rather glad the UK is already out of this intertwined corrupt edifice.

6. Buster , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 14:49:

Of course you are - because you don’t understand what the EU is, you don’t understand how it works and you believe any old nonsense spouted by the Faragists. They are corrupt by the way.
If corruption has happened it’s good that it has been identified. I would expect a full investigation to take place and for wrongdoing to be punished. That seems a perfectly reasonable response to me.
The Tory response to Brexitist corruption is to give it a peerage. Anyway, I am very much enjoying how badly Brexit is going. You lot couldn’t have failed anymore miserably if you’d have tried. Enjoy eating from bins.

7. Old Albion , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 15:03:

Your EU is unwinding. Go and sit in the corner and cry Buster. It's what teenagers do.

8. Buster , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 15:21:

Lol. Yes, the likes of Farage and Iain Duncan Smith have been telling us since Maastricht how the EU is unwinding. First is was EU expansion that was going to kill the EU, and then the Euro, and the Great Recession, and then the Greek Debt Crisis, and then the migrant crisis, and then Brexit, and then Covid, and then Ukraine, and now inflation…
Apparently all these things were gonna end the EU. And yet none of them did. The EU is stronger than ever. Its members want it to succeed. Even more countries are wanting ti join,
Meanwhile you are left blubbering into your union flag as your Brexit crashes and burns. The country hates it. The dwindling band of mostly elderly clowns who still shout about Brexit look increasingly deranged and everyday it becomes more and more evident that it is just a matter of time until Brexit is undone.
Imagine getting to your age and realising the policy you advocated all your life is a turd. Worse, imagine being served up this turd on a plate and not realising it’s a turd. I feel sorry for you.

9. Gazzablack , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 15:55:

8 Buster
Imagine your mother at her age realising she'd given birth to a turd.
.
Corruption in the EU resembles an iceberg, in that what you see above the surface is but a tiny fraction of that which is hidden below the surface.
.
Meanwhile Bluster boy tries to spin a negative into a positive.

10. jon livesey , Tuesday, December 13, 2022, 15:59:

I actually thought Buster would do better than this. Just throwing insults to muddy the waters. Feeble.

19 comments, page 1 of 2

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