On 11 December, Eva Kaili, vice-president of the European Parliament, and three others were charged and imprisoned in connection with an investigation into suspected corruption linked to Qatar.
Ms Kaili, a Greek Socialist MP in charge of relations with the Middle East, had recently explained to her peers that Qatar was “at the forefront of labour law” and its will to host the football World Cup signalled substantial democratic progress. Any elected representative critical of Qatar were engaging in “harassment”, she said.
On Saturday 10 December, Belgian police found bags of cash (at least 600,000 euros) at her home after intercepting her father with a large suitcase full of money, which he was about to take back to Greece. Another Socialist MP, the Belgian Marc Tarabella, is also implicated. As vice-chairman of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with the Arabian Peninsula, he recently said that Qatar was “an example to follow” for other countries in the region.
