“Qatar bands to speak well of the World Cup”: ex-Pd MEP Panzeri and trade unionist Visentini arrested for corruption

Bribes and gifts from Qatar to influence the results of European Parliament And the most important trade union confederation in the world, the International Trade Union Confederation (Ituc). Especially to protect reputation World Championship from Football. This is the focus of the investigation Federal Police of Belgium This led to an explosion 16 quests In various municipalities of the region Brussels. Four people Arrested and interrogated: Among them former Democratic Party MEP and Section 1 Antonio Panzeri – Former Secretary of the Workers’ Union in Milan – and trade unionist Luca VicentiniFormer manager Will Inside Friuli Venezia Giulia who had been the leader for a few weeks Ituc, the World Trade Union Confederation (representing over 200 million workers). Controversial charges include “criminal organization”, Corruption And Money laundering.

News of the investigation was expected by the newspaper Le Soir And from the weekly Photographs. Leaders Socialists & Democrats, Pancheri, who was a member till a few years ago, met hurriedly in the afternoon. The investigations allowed investigators to recover 600,000 euros in cash. Computer equipment and mobile phones will be seized and analyzed as part of the investigation. This activity is particularly worrisome Parliamentary Assistants Employees of the European Parliament. Among those questioned was a former member of the European Parliament. Five hundred thousand euros Money Kidnapped They were found in Pancheri’s house. According to many confidential sources D ilfattoquotidiano.itAll agree, the prisoners are all Italians: in addition to Panzeri and Vicentini, the prisoners and the inquisitors Francis George, Pancheri’s former parliamentary assistant. The fourth person, according to local media, was The Director of an NGO. They are very active personalities in human rights associations. Panzeri himself, who has not been an MEP since 2019, is the chairman Fight against impunity It “fights against impunity for serious human rights violations” and promotes international justice. Among the places searched is that of the Sangha.

It will lead to an investigation launched in July 2022 by Belgian authorities and coordinated by the Federal Prosecutor’s Office. An unprecedented earthquake Inside the buildings of the European institutions. A case Corruption And Money laundering This risks undermining the credibility of those institutions if they prove to have more serious ties to other political representatives sitting among the Eurochamber’s benches. Investigators suspect “ Gulf country Seeks to influence the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by paying large sums of money or giving significant gifts to third parties who hold a significant political and/or strategic position in the European Parliament. The allegation, the Belgian newspapers did not, did not mention QatarBut many well-known sources report precisely who paid the bribe Doha. Their goal is during matches World CupIt would have been precisely to protect the fairness of the competition from accusations of Human rights violation and the gods Labor rightsUnderscoring the supposed progress of the Qatari monarchy.

More information about the company’s structure can emerge from its analysis Computer equipment and the gods telephones Seized by investigators during raids mainly involving parliamentary aides associated with the group Socialists and Democrats And, in one case, al European People’s Party.