Italian S&D MEP Roberti: ‘Network of corruption’ could go beyond Qatar and Morocco
Former anti-mafia prosecutor expresses fears for the stability and future of EU in La Stampa interview.
The “network of corruption” alleged to be inside the European Parliament could stretch beyond Qatar and Morocco, according to Italian Socialists and Democrats MEP Franco Roberti.
The investigations into possible graft may currently be focused on Qatar and Morocco — the two countries already identified as potentially having sought to buy influence in Brussels — “but there could also be others,” the former anti-mafia prosecutor told La Stampa in an interview published on Saturday.
While not having any concrete evidence of a network of corruption in the European Parliament, Roberti told the Italian paper that he knew it was a possibility.
Hailing from the same party as several people implicated in the scandal, including currently imprisoned Greek MEP Eva Kaili, a former member of the S&D group, Roberti said he had never been approached with any suspicious offers. But he added that his focus is on matters that “do not interfere with the interests of these countries: justice, the fight against organized crime, money laundering.”
Roberti wouldn’t exclude the possibility that the practices being revealed were widespread. If that’s indeed the case, “it would be truly dangerous and worrying for the stability and future of the European Union in an already terrible moment for the EU institutions, given by the economic crisis and the war of Russia in Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying.
The investigations into possible graft may currently be focused on Qatar and Morocco — the two countries already identified as potentially having sought to buy influence in Brussels — “but there could also be others,” the former anti-mafia prosecutor told La Stampa in an interview published on Saturday.
While not having any concrete evidence of a network of corruption in the European Parliament, Roberti told the Italian paper that he knew it was a possibility.
Hailing from the same party as several people implicated in the scandal, including currently imprisoned Greek MEP Eva Kaili, a former member of the S&D group, Roberti said he had never been approached with any suspicious offers. But he added that his focus is on matters that “do not interfere with the interests of these countries: justice, the fight against organized crime, money laundering.”
Roberti wouldn’t exclude the possibility that the practices being revealed were widespread. If that’s indeed the case, “it would be truly dangerous and worrying for the stability and future of the European Union in an already terrible moment for the EU institutions, given by the economic crisis and the war of Russia in Ukraine,” he was quoted as saying.
