Immunity of Greek ex-commissioner lifted amid Qatargate probe
ATHENS — Greece’s parliament voted Thursday to lift the immunity of ex-commissioner and current New Democracy lawmaker Dimitris Avramopoulos after Belgian authorities issued an arrest warrant in connection with the Qatargate scandal.
Avramopoulos was previously summoned for questioning by Belgian authorities but failed to appear on several occasions. A European arrest warrant was issued in June and the MP formally requested that Greece’s Supreme Court block its execution while questioning its legal basis.
The court refused his request, and in a legal note to MPs, dated Sep. 17 and seen by POLITICO, he called for his immunity to be lifted to facilitate the judicial investigation. In the note, he also denies any connection to the illegal acts under investigation.
Greek parliament then voted unanimously to lift his parliamentary immunity, and, in response to questions from POLITICO, Avramopoulos said he would appear before the Belgian authorities once a date has been set.
He added that he regrets not appearing when he was first summoned around a year ago, stating that had he testified then, there would be no arrest warrant today.
The Belgian arrest warrant for Avramopoulos, dated June 21 and seen by POLITICO, accuses him of membership in a criminal organization, bribery of an official, and money laundering. It also alleges a financial benefit totaling approximately €73,000.
Allegations center on Avramopoulos’ cooperation with Fight Impunity, a non-governmental organization and which the arrest warrant links to the ongoing Qatargate investigation. Avramopoulos was an honorary board member of the NGO and resigned as soon as the scandal broke.
The Qatargate scandal broke out in December 2022 — after Avramopoulos had left the Commission — when Belgian police launched a series of raids on properties and offices in Brussels, arrested key suspects, and seized bags of cash in one of the biggest corruption investigations to hit the EU. The core allegations are that suspects linked to the European Parliament accepted money or gifts in exchange for doing Qatar’s bidding.
Pier Antonio Panzeri, a former MEP from Italy who founded Fight Impunity, Greek former MEP Eva Kaili, and her husband, Francesco Giorgi, were arrested in Belgium in 2022. They are facing charges of corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organization as part of the Qatargate investigation.
They have been released from jail pending trial, but there has been little progress in the case over the last couple of years. Panzeri admitted guilt and has struck a plea deal with the Belgian prosecutor to exchange information for a reduced sentence. Kaili has repeatedly maintained her innocence.
