Latvian TV3 programme Nekā particular personīga supplys an in-depth Take A look On the current corruption scandal that Occurred Inside The eu Parliament (EP) final yr. Political advisor from Latvia Eldars Mamedovs is involved in it. It Seems that Latvian MEP Andris Ameriks viwebsited each Azerbaijan and contested Nin the pastrno-Karabakh territory on his personal final yr.
By way of the investigation of the state of affairs, Belgian police confiscated one and a half million euros in money. Proof was found thOn The federal authorities of Qatar and Morocco had paid EP officers To impact European institutions in favour Of these two nations. The chief of the group has admitted guild and voiced studyiness To name all bribed officers.
Mamedovs is involved Inside the scandal. He is presently suspended and choruss from commenting on his involvement and the investigation. Earlier thanhand the Latvian advisor did invite European Union’s Social Democrats Group to be extra lenient in the direction of Qatar and Russia.
Earlier than final yr’s World Soccer Championship he criticised Qatar Pretty a bit. Video footage was leaked, displaying that
the stadiums used Inside the championship have been constructed by visitor staff, who labored in slavery-like circumstances.
Many died On The enchancment web websites As a Outcome of of inhumane circumstances. Qatar’s picture then required some critical sprucing, and the EP Needed to make up its thoughts in favour of this Persian Gulf nation. The parliament had a quantity of important primeics on the desk, collectively with a visa-free regime between the EU and Qatar.
Operation Mezzo or The Most very important scandal in EP’s historic previous Occurred Decrease than a yr in the past. Secret providers found EUR 400 000 hidden in The house of now ex-EP member state Pier Antonio Panceri in Brussels. Investigators found ancompletely different EUR 400 000 in his house protected.
German Der Spiegel acquired supplies of the case. Information therein permits for a restoration of a quantity of conferences held at Sofitel Place Jourdan 5-star lodge. There recurrentatives of the Qatar authorities met with Panceri. He assisted them put together the speech that was study at A gathering of EP Human Rights sub-committee in November 2022.
EP Vice-President Eva Kaili’s husband Francesco Giorgi additionally met with recurrentatives in Qatar. MEPs have been requested to persuade the parliament that Qatar has carried out primary reforms. Kaili, too, publicly defended Qatar, criticising her colleagues of «hypocrisy».
Bribery of MEPs turned publicly acknowledged On The prime of December 2022.
After discovering out about searches and the arrest of Panceri, Kaili tried To cowl evidence. However, regulation enforcers found a briefcase Full of money hidden in her baby’s carriage. MEPs have since voted Kaili out office, as MEPs immunity turns into null and void Inside the face of evidence.
Latvian MEP Roberts Zīle informed the programme The subsequent on this primeic: «Currently, whereas the investigation continues, And that It is unclear what We will do To reinforce transparency, I think about people ought to chorus from visiting these nations.
Wanting again, these two Might be not The one nations [involved in bribery]. We can look to Central Asian nations [Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan], and Russia, Little question. It Is potential such precedents Occurred in EU groups Prior to now as properly.
I think about this as very vital damage triggered not solely to people, However in addition The complete political group – Social Democrats. Mightbe even The complete parliament.»
Currently all accusations of corruption are aimed On the Social Democrats group Inside the EP. Investigators think about two extra MEPs – Marc Tarabella and Andrea Cozzolino – as Panceri’s accomplices with which he shared bribes. MEPs Might want To Search out out on revoking their immunity round mid-February.
At The prime of December the Social Democrats group suspended its political advisor Due to corruption scandal. This was carried out because An monumental violation had been dedicated Relating to The continued investigation. The Belgian police was educated of this immediately. The announcement Did not level out the identify of the dismissed official, but Nekā particular personīga reviews it was Latvian citizen Eldars Mamedovs, who has labored Inside The eu Parliament for Greater than ten yrs.
The Social Democrats group Inside The eu Parliament consists of two MEPs from Latvia – Nils Ušakovs and Andris Ameriks. Neither of them know why Mamedovs was dismissed.
Ušakovs: «Presently I can’t say something dangerous about Eldars Mamedovs. I merely Have not any information. We now haven’t actually labored collectively On this European Parliament, because he works with overseas affairs And that i work with price range-associated primeics. We merely Do not cross Every completely different’s paths.»
Ameriks: «I’ve nothing to do with Qatar. Mamedovs has labored On this group for A very Very prolonged time. I don’t converse with him In any respect. We now Need to attend for end outcomes of the investigation.»
Nekā particular personīga rethoughtsed Ameriks that Memedovs’ spouse Natalja Sisojeva is his assistant Inside The eu Parliament. The programme requested him: who useful her to him?
«She has labored Inside the parliament for a quantity of phrases, and it appeared to me that her expertise might assist me. This has nothing to do Together with her companion. I’ve seen him [Mamedovs] maybe as quickly as at A gathering [Progressive Alliance of Sociaitemizings & Democrats Inside The eu Parliament],» said Ameriks.
MEP Zīle feedagain on Mamedovs: «I think about his position [Inside the social democrats group] Could have been very vital. WhOn the Spanish media wrote, that Definitely one of his shut pals is a member Inside the Civil Liberties Committee that labored with the affairs associated to the scandal. And its chief is López Aguilar. That is the committee By which the place of its chief Is important in setting relations with third-nation recurrentatives.»
Spanish media, the programme says, did level out Mamedovs’ shut palship with parliamentarian Juan Fernando López Aguilar, Who’s In cost of the parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice And residential Affairs. Multiple sources Inside the parliament informed the Spanish media that Eldars Mamedovs probably accepted the supply to go on journey in Qatar and watch the World Soccer Championship there.
TV3 journaitemizings requested Mamedovs if he paid for tickets. He responded by saying that he Will not current any feedagain Regarding The continued investigation. Nekā particular personīga acquired comparable responses from EP’s Social Democrats Group.
Mamedovs served as political advisor to the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was One of Many people who urged The very actualityion to be extra lenient in the direction of Qatar. He objected to The very actualityion’s official place to assist the decision that declared Russia a state sponsoring terrorism. Multiple members of The very actualityion did level out his place in the direction of the regime in Iran as properly.
He is a member of the as quickly as influential Mamedovs household in Latvia. His father personaled Rīgasoline sanitārā transporta autobāze and Ceļu pārvalde. Both corporations have a historic previous of being involved in huge and doubtful state and municipal procurements.
Riga-born Eldars Mamedovs started his profession Inside the Latvian banking sector As a Outcome of the supervisor of Parex Financial institution office in Azerbaijan. He then expertised a profession leap On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For A whereas he served as a worker of the embassy in Spain, then – in Washington. Based mostly on unofficial information, Mamedovs was Faraway from the embassy in Washington for having shut ties with Iran’s recurrentatives in US. From the yr 2000 onward Mamedovs was a frequent visitor at Baltic Discussion board occasions organised by Concord chief Jānis Urbanovičs.
He ran in European Parliament elections in 2014 from Concord’s itemizing. Ušakovs defined to Nekā particular personīga journaitemizings: «Mamedovs was not a member of Harmoney, but we did cooperate quite actively. It’s because he started working Inside The eu Parliament in 2008 or 2009. He has An excellent CV – labored On the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies, The eu Parliament. He found work on his personal. It made sense To incorporate Eldars Mamedovs Regardless of The very Incontrovertible actuality that he wasn’t a member of the celebration».
When requested if Mamedovs’ candidacy was thought-about for Saeima elections Ušakovs said: «Sure. If I’m not mistaken, On the time we had A mannequin new group, and A particular person with Greater than 10 yrs of expertise working Inside The eu Parliament appeared like A great selection. However he didn’t run as candidate then.»
In mild of the scandal, EP President Roberta Metsola has plans For A lot of measures To sprime or make comparable actions troublesome Finally. It is deliberate for prohibit MEPs from collaborating in lobbying actions after leaving their posts For As prolonged As a Outcome of they nonetheless acquire advantages. Particulars Regarding the currents MEPs acquire, journey and conferences Shall be revealed on the parliament’s internet website Frequently.
Also study: Officials of The eu Parliament arrested on suspicion of corruption