EU lawmakers back lifting MEPs' immunity in graft probe / Photo: © AFP/File
RIO
-0.3300
The Fort Worth Press - EU lawmakers back lifting MEPs' immunity in graft probe
USD
-
AED 3.672504
AFN 65.000368
ALL 81.431326
AMD 361.239406
ANG 1.789785
AOA 918.000367
ARS 1544.046724
AUD 1.452222
AWG 1.8
AZN 1.70397
BAM 1.754002
BBD 2.018116
BDT 124.801578
BGN 1.747831
BHD 0.378548
BIF 2997.982153
BMD 1
BND 1.283978
BOB 12.019192
BRL 5.504904
BSD 1.002018
BTN 94.051388
BWP 13.802968
BYN 3.000673
BYR 19600
BZD 2.015246
CAD 1.41125
CDF 2320.000362
CHF 0.820469
CLF 0.024951
CLP 981.982871
CNY 6.676504
CNH 6.670804
COP 3236.357114
CRC 454.419084
CUC 1
CUP 24.048249
CVE 98.887942
CZK 21.83445
DJF 178.43146
DKK 6.708504
DOP 60.885162
DZD 136.261154
EGP 53.769786
ERN 15
ETB 164.454778
EUR 0.896804
FJD 2.265604
FKP 0.7479
GBP 0.748083
GEL 2.59504
GGP 0.7479
GHS 11.707995
GIP 0.7479
GMD 74.503851
GNF 8874.938344
GTQ 7.657056
GYD 210.062329
HKD 7.84204
HNL 26.930631
HRK 6.76901
HTG 131.321465
HUF 326.000354
IDR 18108.5
ILS 3.18593
IMP 0.7479
INR 93.910504
IQD 1519.035021
IRR 1891353.000352
ISK 122.790386
JEP 0.7479
JMD 159.024259
JOD 0.70904
JPY 158.47504
KES 130.209408
KGS 87.447804
KHR 4082.328147
KMF 442.00035
KPW 899.999961
KRW 1363.803789
KWD 0.31098
KYD 0.83512
KZT 449.127842
LAK 22542.486884
LBP 89728.711717
LKR 333.213757
LRD 170.342137
LSL 16.570826
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 6.412269
MAD 9.794718
MDL 17.910408
MGA 4553.159051
MKD 55.203803
MMK 2099.697346
MNT 3600.739032
MOP 8.088606
MRU 40.453791
MUR 47.030378
MVR 15.403739
MWK 1737.500561
MXN 18.62354
MYR 4.061504
MZN 63.903729
NAD 16.570826
NGN 1347.210377
NIO 36.87727
NOK 9.459904
NPR 150.482041
NZD 1.807175
OMR 0.384144
PAB 1.002108
PEN 3.451773
PGK 4.566611
PHP 63.108038
PKR 277.126855
PLN 3.94555
PYG 6263.39626
QAR 3.662795
RON 4.792204
RSD 105.484059
RUB 81.925564
RWF 1478.947132
SAR 3.756342
SBD 8.048583
SCR 13.773553
SDG 601.503676
SEK 9.894504
SGD 1.282704
SHP 0.748923
SLE 22.950371
SLL 20969.504398
SOS 572.620062
SRD 37.583504
STD 20697.981008
STN 21.972109
SVC 8.76732
SYP 13001.999685
SZL 16.565176
THB 33.550369
TJS 9.243442
TMT 3.5
TND 2.998341
TOP 2.40776
TRY 50.141304
TTD 6.795211
TWD 32.775304
TZS 2647.773642
UAH 45.39348
UGX 4098.470921
UYU 40.312094
UZS 11956.414511
VES 896.316404
VND 25582.5
VUV 119.504303
WST 2.787821
XAF 588.264929
XAG 0.019249
XAU 0.00024594347
XCD 2.70255
XCG 1.805838
XDR 0.707052
XOF 588.264929
XPF 106.954845
YER 236.625037
ZAR 16.51943
ZMK 9001.203584
ZMW 20.360522
ZWL 321.999592
SSP 5745.505339
MXV 2.095222
- Rene Eyre Revisits Autobiographical Performance 'Say A Little Prayer' in London
- London Museum Granted 24/7 License Ahead of November Opening
- UAE's HCT Holds Record Graduation and Announces Major Training Expansion
- Dana White Confirms Flight to Washington for Trump Meeting on Press Secretary Role
- NASA Awards $10B Lunar Contract Framework to SpaceX, Blue Origin
- Dengue Fever Expands Into High Himalayas as Climate Change Warms Nepal
- Katy Perry Tells Fans Ex-Husband Russell Brand 'Should Be in Jail' During UK Concert
- IoT Refrigerator Hacks Disrupt Blood Labs and Supermarkets Across Europe and US
- South African election results renew debate over identity-based voting
- Post-election pressures complicate US and Israeli decisions on Iran
EU lawmakers back lifting MEPs' immunity in graft probe
A key European Parliament committee on Tuesday unanimously backed lifting the immunity of two lawmakers implicated in a corruption scandal that has rocked the EU.
Prosecutors in Belgium have urged legislators to strip Belgian MEP Marc Tarabella and Italian lawmaker Andrea Cozzoli of their immunity as part of a probe into alleged bribery by Qatar and Morocco.
The parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs voted 23 to zero to take the move -- paving the way for the entire plenary to decide the issue in a vote on Thursday.
Belgium authorities already have four other suspects in custody after launching raids on several addresses in December -- including those of lawmakers, ex-lawmakers and parliamentary aides -- that turned up 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million in cash).
Those detained, and charged with corruption, money-laundering and criminal organisation, include a Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who was one of the parliament's 14 vice presidents but who has since been stripped of that position.
The other three are: her boyfriend, Francesco Giorgi, who was a parliamentary aide; former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who founded an NGO that dealt with the parliament; and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the head of another NGO at the same address at Panzeri's. The three are Italian.
Belgium suspects them of involvement in a bribery scheme in which Qatar and Morocco funnelled money through NGOs to influence decisions by the European Parliament.
Both Qatar and Morocco deny any wrongdoing.
The allegations have badly shaken the legislature and cast a shadow over other EU institutions in Brussels.
"Justice is advancing," tweeted left-wing committee member Manon Aubry after the parliament's Legal Affairs Committee vote.
Tarabella's home was among those searched in the December raids. Belgian investigators demanded the parliament strip him and Cozzolino of immunity so they can further their probe.
Both insist they are innocent, as does Kaili.
Giorgi reportedly has partly confessed, however.
And Panzeri has struck a plea bargain with prosecutors to turn over evidence of bribes made and the figures involved in return for a lighter sentence.
K.Ibarra--TFWP
