Ex-MEP, Pier Antonio Panzeri, the key witness in the Qatargate cash-for-influence inquiry rocking the European Parliament, has taken pot-shots at Belgian Socialist MEP, Marc Tarabella, accusing him of sowing doubts over Panzeri’s alleged evidence in the probe.
On June 30, Panzeri, who previously made a plea deal in return for information provided to the Qatargate investigators, said he wants to confront Tarabella over the Belgian’s claims.
“I can no longer remain without reaction in the face of the untruths and suspicions that are piling up,” Panzeri said in a press release from his lawyers, Marc Uyttendaele and Laurent Kennes.
“I therefore want to face Mr Tarabella as soon as possible, whose defence is constantly trying to discredit me in the media.”
Since Tarabella was released from jail in April, his own lawyer, Maxim Töller, has gone on the offensive against both the inquiry and Panzeri. It was Töller who made public that the former lead Qatargate investigator, Michel Claise, had close connections to Belgian MEP Maria Arena, also now in the spotlight over the scandal.
That led to Claise disqualifying himself from the probe amid concerns over possible conflicts of interest. Arena, who has officially remained outside the investigation, has denied any wrongdoing.
Panzeri said: “Unlike other protagonists in the [Qatargate] case, I will not make statements in the media about my own statements or those of other suspects, neither before this confrontation nor afterwards.
“I take responsibility for my actions, I have acknowledged all of them, and I have clearly identified the protagonists I know about … as my status … requires.
“I will continue to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, disregarding the defence strategy of the other defendants, or any pressure that would be put on me,” he added.
The Qatargate story broke after a year-long investigation by the Belgian authorities, with the help of foreign secret services, into the alleged illegal wheeler-dealing of some politicians in and around the European Parliament.
Panzeri is an Italian former MEP, now turned informant. He is among those accused of having accepted bribes, gifts and luxury trips. Investigators suspect he was receiving pay-offs via the NGOs he was involved in.
He played a prominent role in establishing links in EU-Morocco relations. He also pressed for the European Commission to allocate more funds to the North African country. He is also a vocal supporter of Morocco’s trade and fisheries agreement with the EU.
Apparently in reward for his work, in 2014, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI awarded Panzeri the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, or the Sharifian Order of Al-Alaoui, third class. The order is a military decoration presented by the Moroccan authorities.
Tarabella, meanwhile, had served as vice chair of the European Parliament’s delegation to Qatar and other Arabian Peninsula countries. In February this year, after the Parliament voted to waive his immunity, he was arrested, charged with corruption and money-laundering and remanded in custody. He denied any wrongdoing.
In April, he was released from prison and, the following month, released from house arrest. Lately, he has once again been active as an MEP in European politics.
