BRUSSELS: Belgian investigators probing the “Qatargate” bribery scandal that has tainted the European Parliament carried out searches at six more locations, including an MEP’s home, on Wednesday.

A statement from federal prosecutors said the raid targeted the home of Belgian socialist MEP Marie Arena and five “places directly linked to her or to her family”.

The 56-year-old MEP was a political ally of several other figures implicated in the bribery row, but she has not been arrested or charged with any offence.

“Documents and computer equipment have been seized and will be analysed,” the statement said.

Arena is known as an associate of Italian former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, one of the key figures in the scandal, who has been charged and has reportedly agreed to testify.

He is said to have been at the heart of a network distributing bribes to MEPs like Eva Kaili, a Greek former vice-president of the European Parliament who protests her innocence.

The money is said to have come from Morocco and Qatar to further their interests in Brussels, but both governments firmly deny any wrongdoing.

Arena enjoys immunity from prosecution as a member of the parliament, and has not been charged, but her name has come up in the investigation before.

The investigating magistrate who launched the probe, Michel Claise, has withdrawn from the case citing a conflict of interest involving Arena.

A source close to the investigation said that Claise’s son operates a firm selling medicinal cannabis with Arena’s son.

The scandal sent shockwaves through EU politics in December last year, when Claise launched a series of raids on premises in Belgium connected with European parliamentary figures. More than 1.5 million euros ($1.68 million) in cash in several bags and cases was seized and Kaili found herself the face of the scandal when she was taken into custody.

Several people have been charged and are now living under house arrest under electronic surveillance pending an eventual trial.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2023