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A former MEP who is one of the key figures in a graft scandal rocking the European parliament will remain in custody, Belgian prosecutors said Tuesday.
Pier Antonio Panzeri did not appear at a custody hearing, having decided to withdraw his appeal for release from pre-trial detention “due to personal reasons”, the prosecutors’ office said in a statement.
The Italian is one of four suspects being held by Belgian authorities on charges of “criminal organisation, corruption and money laundering”.
They were arrested last month, when Belgian police raided several addresses belonging to MEPs, former MEPs, parliamentary aides and NGOs that have contact with the European parliament.
The searches turned up 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash.
The police were acting on prosecutors’ suspicions — reportedly backed by wiretaps — that Qatar and Morocco sought to pay off MEPs to influence parliamentary decisions concerning them.
Qatar has denied any wrongdoing and Morocco has accused the media of making unjustified “attacks”.
Among the other suspects in custody is Greek MEP Eva Kaili — who was stripped of her position as one of the parliament’s 14 vice presidents after her arrest.
The other two are Kaili’s Italian boyfriend Francesco Giorgi, and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the Italian head of an NGO suspected of making payments to MEPs.
Belgian prosecutors have also requested that the parliament lift the immunity of two other MEPs, Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino, so they can further their investigations.
The legislature has launched the procedure.
Kaili was not able to assert immunity because a Belgian judge deemed that she was caught red-handed.
Panzeri, who became the head of a Brussels-based NGO after leaving the parliament, initially contested his detention and asked for Tuesday’s hearing.
The “personal reasons” the 67-year-old invoked for his decision to drop the appeal were not given.
Belgian media said Panzeri was put under surveillance by Belgian intelligence services for at least a month before his arrest. The reports said he received money from Morocco to promote its interests in the European parliament.
Italy has arrested Panzeri’s wife and daughter under a warrant issued by Belgium and authorised their extradition.
The wife is challenging the court order, and the daughter is expected to follow suit, according to Italian media.
European parliament chief Roberta Metsola announced Monday proposals to clean up the legislature and protect it from “corruption” and “foreign interference”.
They include more checks on who gets access to parliamentary premises, restricting MEPs’ activities with non-EU countries, and having a public register of MEPs’ finances.