MEP in graft case remanded in custody until next week
The Greek MEP charged with corruption in an alleged bribery plot by Qatar will remain in pre-trial detention until at least December 22, her lawyer said on Wednesday, after a hearing was postponed. Eva Kaili, 44, was arrested last week as Belgian police conducted a series of raids on the homes and offices of figures linked to the European Parliament and seized at least 1.5 million euros in cash. World Cup host Qatar denies any wrongdoing, but has been accused by Belgian investigators of paying bribes to burnish its international image and influence EU policy. Kaili and three fellow accused – her partner, a former MEP, and a lobbyist – have remained in Belgian custody since their arrest on Friday and their detention was due to be reviewed on Wednesday. But Kaili's lawyer Andre Risopoulos said his client's case had been separated from that of the other three and that she had not been able to attend court because of a staff strike in the prison where she is being held. Earlier, in Athens, another lawyer working for Kaili, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, insisted that she was innocent and "did not know of the existence" of the cash found at her home. Dimitrakopoulos suggested Kaili's partner, Francesco Giorgi, might have "answers about the existence of this cash". Giorgi and the other two suspects charged in the case did appear before a magistrate who was to rule later in the day on whether they will remain in pre-trial detention. (AFP)