Greece confiscates land plot of EU official involved in bribery accusations

Lawyers for Eva Kaili, the Greek member of the European Parliament (MEP) currently detained in connection with an alleged bribery scheme in Brussels, have asked a Belgian judge to release her under the terms of electronic surveillance.

A decision on whether she should be released is expected to be made by the judge on December 22 after a private court hearing. André Risopoulos, the MEP’s lawyer in Belgium, said Kaili was actively cooperating with the investigations, according to Financial Times.

“She rejects any corruption allegations against her”, he added. Kaili and three others have been charged with corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation for allegedly accepting cash, expensive holidays and other gifts to influence EU policy towards countries such as Qatar and Morocco, according to legal documents seen by the Financial Times.

The Greek anti-money laundering authority said on December 22 it had put an asset freeze on a plot of land on the island of Paros bought by Kaili and her partner, Francesco Giorgi, pending an investigation into the activities of the couple in Greece.

The authority also froze their joint bank account that was used to purchase that land in March 2022.

This week, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, a lawyer Kaili has retained in Greece, said that the purchase of the property had been legal and that the money used to buy it came from Kaili’s income.