More than €1.5 mln in cash seized from homes of Kaili and Panzeri
Police in Belgium seized more than 1.5 million euros in cash in the Brussels homes of MEP Eva Kaili and former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri.
As reported by Beglian daily Le Soir, federal police found around 600,000 euros in Panzeri’s home.
The remainder was found in Kaili’s home, which she shared with her life partner Francesco Giorgi, as well as in the possession of her father, Alexandros Kailis.
The photos of the cash haul emerged after Kaili’s lawyer in Athens said: “Her position is that she is innocent.”
“She has nothing to do with financing from Qatar, nothing, explicitly and unequivocally,” Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told Open TV.
Kaili’s father was intercepted by investigators at the Sofitel hotel in Brussels, in possession of a suitcase stuffed with cash. Catching him “in the act” enabled investigators and the examining magistrate to search Kaili’s home without requesting a lifting of the parliamentary immunity she enjoyed as an MEP.
Valuables, believed to have been given to her by Qatari officials, were found and seized from this residence alongside other bags of banknotes.
Panzeri, Kaili and Giorgi have all been charged and placed under arrest by the investigating judge, Michel Claise.
On Wednesday, all three, as well as a fourth man imprisoned in this case, will appear before a preliminary investigating magistrate to testify. A decision will then be taken on whether to detain them pending trial.
Le Soir, Kathimerini
