Corruption storm in European Parliament Bribery, Armenian lobbyists and anti-Azerbaijani resolutions

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has launched an investigation into around 10 current and former members of the European Parliament (EP) over corruption charges.

The investigation is focused on violations related to salaries and allowances paid to the assistants of these parliamentarians, Caliber.Az reports, citing the Turkish news agency Anadolu.

A report by the Belgian newspaper Le Soir said the investigation centers on certain members of the European Parliament who misused public funds intended for their assistants.

Among the politicians under investigation is Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who was previously removed from her position as Vice President of the European Parliament due to similar corruption allegations.

Belgian MEPs Hilde Vautmans and Tom Vandendriesche have also become involved in the case.

The EPPO has identified a concerning trend of rising corruption cases within EU institutions: in 2024, the number of investigations has doubled compared to 2023.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office has also looked into potential violations related to contracts for the purchase of COVID-19 vaccines by the European Commission.

The EPPO has long been criticized for its inadequate handling of corruption cases within EU institutions, with some questioning the transparency and effectiveness of its processes.

Around three years ago, the European Parliament was rocked by a major corruption scandal, which drew significant attention to the issue of bribery within EU institutions. In December 2022, Belgian authorities conducted extensive raids at several locations and seized a substantial amount of 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million).

The scandal involved Greek MEP Eva Kaili, former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, Francesco Giorgi, who worked as an assistant in the European Parliament, and NGO leader Niccolò Figà-Talamanca. These individuals were accused of accepting bribes from one of the Gulf countries in exchange for influencing the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament.

Although Qatar was mentioned in connection with the case, the country categorically denied the allegations. After a period of detention, all the individuals involved in the case, including Kaili, were released on conditional bail on April 14, 2023.

However, the investigation conducted by the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office is raising more and more questions: some claim that it has made little progress and has reached a deadlock.

Meanwhile, it is important to recall that, as Caliber.Az reported previously, an Armenian friendship group has been operating within the European Parliament for many years, actively promoting pro-Armenian and anti-Azerbaijani resolutions within the legislative body of the European Union. The main driving force behind the group's activities is the European Armenian Federation for Justice and Democracy (EAFJD), led by the "grey cardinal" of the Armenian mafia-lobby, Kaspar Karampetian. He organized illegal trips for MEPs to Karabakh during its occupation, repeatedly made public calls against the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, with the aim of advancing the so-called "Republic of Artsakh" on the international stage. In doing so, he generously financed all anti-Azerbaijani initiatives of the MEPs.

Karampetyan significantly succeeded in executing corrupt schemes within the European Parliament due to his wealth, which he amassed from trading in diamonds of dubious origin supplied from regions of conflict in Africa. He owns a network of jewelry stores in Belgium, and part of the profits from his diamond business were funneled to separatists in Karabakh, as well as to support Armenian terrorist groups such as ASALA. Karampetyan once admitted that during a dinner in Brussels in 2017, he managed to raise 3.8 million euros to support Armenian separatism. Thanks to his extensive financial resources, Karampetyan recruited European politicians and parliamentarians, who regularly visited Karabakh during the period when Armenia occupied Azerbaijani territories. On March 15, 2017, at the upscale Le Bartholdi Pub restaurant in Strasbourg, Karampetyan gathered several European parliamentarians around a lavish table. Shortly after, MEPs André de Bust de Varnafa, Emmanuel de Bock, and Pierre Compagni were spotted in Karabakh, accompanied by Karampetyan.

Amid all this, the European Parliament dares to accuse Azerbaijan of various issues and adopt anti-Azerbaijani resolutions. Given the scale of corruption within the walls of this institution, it would be more appropriate for it to focus on resolving its own problems rather than interfering in the internal affairs of Azerbaijan.