You rely on us for your gas now, Qatar warns EU in bribery row

Qatar has threatened to cut off energy supplies to Belgium and Europe in a row over a corruption scandal that has shaken the European Union.

Eva Kaili, the disgraced Greek MEP and a vice-president of the European parliament, is in custody after police seized cash totalling more than €900,000 from suitcases owned by her and her Italian husband Francesco Giorgi, an aide at the EU assembly.

At a court hearing this Thursday, Kaili 44, will blame Giorgi, 35, the father of their daughter, two, for dragging her into the scandal without her knowledge, her lawyer told The Times. “She was used by her partner and father of her child, without her knowledge,” Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, her lawyer said. “She has a clear conscience and she will fight for her innocence.”

Dimitrakopoulos, a prominent criminal attorney in Greece, has been advising Kaili since police raided her flat in Brussels on December 9 and found €150,000 in luggage. Hours earlier, police found more than €750,000 in a suitcase in the Brussels hotel room where Kaili’s father was staying.

In another raid on the home of Antonio Panzeri, a former Italian MEP and president of a charity, police seized €600,000. The cash, totalling €1.5 million was said by prosecutors to be a bribery fund to be used on behalf of Qatar. Giorgi is said to have admitted his role.

Investigators said the bribery network was set up with the aim of helping Qatar influence a positive outcome on a looming visa liberalisation deal with the EU and a previous aviation agreement negotiated last year.

As vice-president responsible for relations with the Middle East it is alleged that Kaili acted to unduly influence other MEPs in Qatar’s favour. Despite widespread concerns over the deaths of construction workers building stadiums for the Qatari World Cup, the Greek Socialist described the emirate as “a frontrunner in labour rights”.

Kaili, a glamorous, former television presenter, will appear in court in Brussels for an arraignment hearing and will insist that the EU’s move to have closer links with Qatar is unconnected to the scandal. “That the EU was bent on strengthening trade relations with Qatar is indisputable,” said her lawyer, noting that energy supplies, especially liquified natural gas (LNG), are vital to Europe. “The EU wanted to secure energy resources to shield its citizens from freezing this winter. Eva Kaili held no executive authority or power. She did not act alone.”

Kaili will accuse other MEPs of preparing to invite Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, the autocratic Emir of Qatar, to address the parliament next month. The parliament has denied the allegation but Dimitrakopoulos said “a detailed investigation would reveal” it potentially drawing the entire EU assembly into the scandal.

Qatar has warned European countries, especially Belgium, which is investigating the scandal, to remember that the emirate is an important source of energy supplies for Europe.

On Friday MEPs voted to suspend legislative work on a visa liberalisation deal with Qatar and banned all Qatari officials or business representatives from the European parliament.

“The decision to impose such a discriminatory restriction that limits dialogue and co-operation on Qatar before the legal process has ended will negatively affect regional and global security co-operation, as well as discussions around global energy,” an official statement by the Qatari mission to the EU, said.

It added: “MEPs have been significantly misled.”

Qatari diplomats have denied any involvement in the cash for influence scandal and have denounced the focus on Qatar despite the suspected involvement of Morocco.

“Qatar was not the only party named in the investigation, yet our country has been exclusively criticised and attacked,” the statement said.

In a warning to Belgium, and other European countries, Qatar reminded Brussels that the Qataris are increasingly important suppliers of LNG. Qatar is “an important supplier of LNG to Belgium”, the statement said.