Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Belgium closes in on Qatargate win 

Belgium closes in on Qatargate win 

After clinching cooperation with one key suspect, the EU corruption case now hinges on securing hard evidence.

Does tiny Belgium have what it takes to convict the alleged perpetrators of a sprawling corruption scandal that is engulfing the European Parliament?

This question hung over conversations in the corridors of Brussels after emergence of the so-called Qatargate allegations in December. But last week, the Belgian prosecutors made a major breakthrough.

Former Italian EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, one of four suspects currently detained in the investigation, last Tuesday struck a deal with Belgian prosecutors to exchange information for a reduced sentence.

Panzeri’s agreement to cooperate with authorities is a big boost — not just for the investigation, but also for the Belgians involved, who have a lot riding on it.

Key Belgian politicians, including Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and European Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders, have been boasting about the independent work of their country’s judiciary, police and intelligence branches, which led to the arrests. For them, it’s a sign Belgium takes its job as a host country of EU institutions very seriously.

The Qatargate scandal has threatened the credibility of those institutions after prosecutors went public with their investigation in early December. Belgian federal police raided at least 20 locations across Brussels, seizing mobile phones, computers and more than €1.5 million in cash. Four people were arrested on preliminary charges, amid claims that the governments of Qatar and Morocco handed out large sums of cash to get EU politicians to do their bidding.

Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne told POLITICO that through this investigation, the justice department is “showing its teeth.”

“I am confident that the federal prosecutor’s office will do everything possible and get to the bottom of this case,” he said, adding: “It’s no coincidence the law used is the ‘pentiti’ law, because this law was a useful tool in the fight against the Italian mafia.”

The minister is referring to Belgium’s so-called repentants statute, which is being used in the current EU corruption case for only the second time since it was created in 2018. The first — an inquiry into money laundering, bribery and match-fixing in Belgian soccer in 2021 — was also led by Michel Claise, the Belgian investigative magistrate now at the helm of the Qatargate probe.

The second time around, the challenge ahead for Claise — known in Belgium for fighting corruption — is to actually deliver on Qatargate amid widespread leaks to the media from within the investigation.

That means there’s even more pressure on Belgian justice to come up with hard evidence.


Risky leaks


For the defendants, the widespread leaks since the start of the arrests are a bad omen — and welcome ammunition.

Maxim Töller, the lawyer for the Belgian socialist MEP Marc Tarabella, has heavily criticized the investigation. Tarabella’s house was raided and Belgian investigators asked the European Parliament to waive his immunity — although he has not yet been formally charged.

Töller told Claise “there was a huge problem of procedure” due to leaking of key documents to media.

Belgian justice sees the leaks — which include detailed overviews of the investigation, court documents and information from intelligence services — as potentially interfering with the case.

Van Quickenborne told POLITICO last month that the repeated leaking of information is “dangerous” to ensuring justice. The federal prosecutor has opened a separate investigation into the leaks, although this has not stopped them.

The suspects’ defense lawyers could latch onto such leaks to blow procedural holes in the case, or argue that the right to professional secrecy, respect of the presumption of innocence and the right to access sealed documents have been violated. According to the European Convention on Human Rights, every defendant has the right to a “fair and public hearing.”

Belgian Justice Minister Vincent Van Quickenborne told POLITICO that through this investigation, the justice department is “showing its teeth”


But in practice, leaks rarely lead to the end of a case, said Raf Verstraeten, a legal expert at the University of Leuven.

“Leaks are unfortunate — but the idea that this would destroy the entire trial is a very, very long shot. We’re absolutely not at that point,” he said. According to Verstraeten, much more would have to happen before a trial gets tossed out for being unfair. “The fact that there are leaks is regrettable, but it does not immediately result in a decision that there is no fair trial.”


No more secrets


What the leaks can do is impede cooperation with other police forces and justice systems — and intelligence, which is key for the Belgians. Above all, they risk undermining trust among the various services involved in the case.

The head of the Belgian intelligence agency, Francisca Bostyn, told Belgian media the leaky case “puts us in trouble with our foreign colleagues. Now it looks like Belgium cannot keep any secrets. Frankly, I think it’s a problem that all our methods are being made public.”

Intelligence from Belgian state security and other secret services was key in kicking off the legal investigation. Yet using information from intelligence services is not always straightforward in a criminal investigation, said two investigators who are not involved in this specific case but have worked with intelligence services on other files.

Pier Antonio Panzeri has agreed to disclose the names of those he admits to having bribed


“Intelligence services often provide you with a lot of key information, but not all that information is usable in court,” one said. Nor are sources always disclosable, the investigator pointed out. “That can make it challenging for the investigators and the prosecution to build a solid case.”

In Belgium, information from intelligence services can be used as supporting evidence, but must be accompanied by other evidence.

Analysis of the money seized needs to help prove where it was drawn and by whom. Above all, it must show whether and how the money could indeed be linked to influencing political decision-making in the European Parliament. If that analysis does not provide enough evidence, the investigation could still fall apart.

Panzeri’s cooperation will be key to building that case. If the Italian shares the information he’s pledged to, this could include details of financial arrangements, the countries involved, who benefited and who else took part. Panzeri has also agreed to disclose the names of those he admits to having bribed.

That means for those who still have something to hide, now is the time to get nervous.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×