Greece freezes assets of MEP accused of graft

Greece had frozen the assets of the European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili after her arrest by Belgian police on corruption charges, according to Deutsche Welle.

Police in Brussels were investigating allegations that figures working for World Cup host Qatar had paid hefty bribes to European politicians for influencing the policy debate.

On December 9, police raided 16 homes in and around Brussels and seized 600,000 euros ($631,800) as part of the investigation that led to calls for greater oversight of European policymaking.

Prosecutors said four people had been arrested and charged with "participation in a criminal organization, money laundering, and corruption".

Kaili, a 44-year-old former television presenter, was charged with corruption in Brussels on December 11. She has spoken publicly in support of Qatar's recent labour reforms and was reportedly detained after Belgian investigators found "bags of cash" in her home.

The European Parliament said at the weekend that Kaili had been suspended from her duties, most notably that of representing the parliament's President Roberta Metsola in the Middle East. The Greek socialist PASOK party, of which Kaili is a member, said it was expelling her.

The claims of bribery have shaken the EU legislature and led to calls for the institutions to be investigated to root out foreign influence.