Qatargate – La Repubblica: Pancheri began to speak – Who does he involve in the scandal

The Italian newspaper la Repubblica also mentions Qatargate today, with its article referring to this time Antonio Panzeri, the Italian former MEP who is considered to be the “mastermind” of the scandal.

According to the publication, Pancheri appears to be cooperating with the Belgian authorities, with whom he is allegedly trying to make a deal.

The former trade unionist and MEP from Bergamo partially admitted to some of the charges brought against him by Brussels investigators investigating Qatargate, the Italian newspaper noted.

“In return we would have received 50,000 euros”said the man believed to be at the center of the corruption scandal that has caused a political earthquake in the European Parliament.

The publication also states that Pancheri declares that he is ready to cooperate and provide information about other MEPs, such as Francesco Cozzolino, of the Democratic Party. At the same time, Pancheri disputes what the Belgian socialist MEP Marc Tarabella testified, stressing that he went to Qatar. He also made statements about Maria Arena, also from the Social Democrats and very close to him: “I know she went to Qatar once and that she got a gift.”

It is noted that yesterday Belgian and Italian newspaper reports revealed that immediately after the arrest of her partner, MEP Eva Kaili was in a panic. She even reportedly notified Antonio Pancheri and two MEPs, while she also called her father to disappear the cash.

Now the focus is on the apology of Eva Kaili on Thursday, the day it will be decided if she will remain in prison or if she will be released.

“The fact that Francesco Giorgi took it all on himself – based on the reports – may work in Eva Kaili’s favor and the court may release her with restrictive conditions or no conditions at all, imgs say. However, opinions are conflicting. Why can on the one hand we have this decision and Eva Kaili be released, on the other hand within 24 hours the federal prosecutor has the right to appeal and overturn the first decision[…] In relation to Eva Kaili, as imgs report, at any stage of the investigation a judge could, for any suspect, make a decision to release him under restrictive conditions or place him under electronic surveillance and there the prosecutor cannot file an appeal. However, what the same imgs explained to us at this stage seems that it is too early to make such a decision”, according to ERT correspondent in Brussels, Irini Zarkadoula.