Qatargate: Former EU Commissioner appears before Belgian authorities

Former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has voluntarily appeared before Belgian judicial authorities to answer questions in connection with the Qatargate corruption investigation, leading to the withdrawal of a European arrest warrant issued against him.

Avramopoulos, 73, served as the European Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship from 2014 to 2019. He is currently a member of the Greek parliament representing the Ilia region for the governing conservative New Democracy party.

His decision to travel to Brussels voluntarily means the European arrest warrant issued against him is no longer in force. Avramopoulos appeared before the Belgian authorities after Greece’s parliament last week voted to lift his parliamentary immunity, clearing the way for the Belgian investigation to proceed.

Avramopoulos has denied any wrongdoing and has previously said he would cooperate with the investigation. Belgian authorities issued the European arrest warrant in June as part of their inquiry into his links to Fight Impunity, an NGO founded by former European Parliament member Antonio Panzeri and subsequently linked to the Qatargate investigation.

Qatargate emerged in 2022 and centres on allegations that foreign interests, including Qatar, sought to influence European Parliament decision-making through payments and other benefits. Several EU officials and former lawmakers have been investigated in the case. Qatar has denied wrongdoing. Belgian investigators have seized about €1.5 million in cash during the investigation.

Avramopoulos joined Fight Impunity after leaving the European Commission. He has maintained that his role was honorary and that his participation and payments from the organisation were properly declared and approved. He has also said that he had no direct or indirect involvement in any wrongdoing.

By Tamilla Hasanova