Eva Kaili, the European Parliament lawmaker at the center of a scandal over alleged Qatar corruption, insists she was never bribed, her lawyers told reporters after a court hearing in Brussels.
(Bloomberg) — Eva Kaili, the European Parliament lawmaker at the center of a scandal over alleged Qatar corruption, insists she was never bribed, her lawyers told reporters after a court hearing in Brussels.
Kaili, who was stripped of her role as vice president of the assembly when details of the case emerged, is cooperating with investigators, Belga newswire reported, citing her lawyers.
Prosecutors said later on Thursday that the court decided to extend her pre-trial detention by a month.
Her lawyers had argued that she should have been placed under electronic surveillance ahead of a trial rather than be held in jail, according to Belga. Kaili can appeal the decision.
Read More: EU Parliament Suspends Qatar Work as Corruption Probe Grows
The parliament is reeling from an investigation after Kaili and Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former member, were arrested on money laundering and corruption charges.
Belgian prosecutors said they’re probing whether large sums of money were being paid to influence the decisions of parliament.
The probe keeps recent World Cup host Qatar in the spotlight while the Gulf nation is also being courted by European governments eager to boost their purchases of natural gas.
Investigators suspect that the payments were part of a broader effort by Qatar to burnish its image amid harsh criticism of its labor and human rights practices, according to media reports.
The Qatari government has denied being involved.
(Updates with ruling on detention in third paragraph)
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