Belgian arrest warrant issued against Avramopoulos in Qatargate case
Belgian authorities have issued an arrest warrant against former European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos as part of the investigation into the Qatargate corruption scandal.
Belgian arrest warrant issued against Avramopoulos in Qatargate case
Belgian judicial authorities have issued an arrest warrant against former European Commissioner for Migration Dimitris Avramopoulos as part of the long-running investigation into the corruption scandal known as Qatargate. The document was sent from Brussels to Athens as of last Thursday.
According to information reported by Politis, Mr Avramopoulos had participated in a non-governmental organisation led by Antonio Panzeri, a former member of the European Parliament implicated in this affair. The former commissioner states in a statement that all funds received from the NGO were declared in his asset declaration, but Belgian authorities believe they come from a "criminal network".
Mr Avramopoulos enjoys double immunity, having served as commissioner and currently being a deputy for Ilia with New Democracy. He is requesting the lifting of his immunity in order to testify before Belgian authorities. The procedure for lifting parliamentary immunity is expected to be finalised within ten days, with the judicial file to reach the Greek Parliament next Tuesday.
In his statement, the former commissioner maintains that his participation in the Fight Impunity commission was legal, approved by the European Commission and fully declared. He notes that his remuneration amounted to 5,000 euros per month for one year and that he had sought permission from the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
Source: Politis