Belgian Court Rules Greek MEP Kaili to Remain in Jail Until Trial

A Belgian court has ruled that Eva Kaili, the Greek member of the European Parliament at the center of a cash for influence scandal involving Qatar, shall remain in jail until trial.

““In its order this morning, the pre-council chamber extended the pre-trial detention of EK by one month,” the Belgian federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement. If Kaili chooses to appeal the ruling within twenty-four hours, she must appear before a chamber of the Brussels court of appeal within fifteen days.

Her legal team had pushed for the MEP to be released wearing an electronic tag earlier in the day. Kaili’s  attorney, André Risopoulos, said his client was cooperating completely with the investigation and disputed all charges.

Kaili is one of four individuals indicted in this case with corruption and money laundering. Investigators have taken approximately €1.5 million (£1.3 million) in cash from several Brussels residences, including €150,000 from her apartment.

Assistant to the European parliament Francesco Giorgi, who is Kaili’s partner, former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, and the leader of an NGO, Niccol Figà-Talamanca, also face trial under the indictment.

According to Belgian and Italian media, Giorgi has confessed in an apparent attempt to clear his partner’s name.