The Greek Parliament on Thursday lifted the immunity of Dimitris Avramopoulos, one of the former European Commissioners. This move allows the authorities in the country to continue investigations into the 'Qatargate' corruption case, which is considered one of the largest financial scandals in the European Union.
Details of the Case and Allegations
Dimitris Avramopoulos, who previously served as the mayor of Athens and is currently a representative of the New Democracy party in the Greek Parliament, has denied any wrongdoing or connection to this case. Several EU officials have been accused in this case of receiving bribes from Qatar. The Qatari government has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
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A Belgian investigating judge issued a European arrest warrant for Avramopoulos in June. This warrant is related to charges of participation in a criminal organization, public corruption, and money laundering. Prior to the vote on Thursday, this 73-year-old representative had been protected from arrest and legal prosecution due to the immunity granted to parliament members.
Avramopoulos's Plans to Cooperate with Belgian Authorities
On Thursday, Greek media reported that Avramopoulos intends to voluntarily appear before Belgian authorities. Meanwhile, the Belgian prosecutor's office has not responded to media requests for immediate comment.
Belgian authorities have announced that during operations related to the 'Qatargate' case, approximately 1.5 million euros (equivalent to 1.72 million dollars) in cash has been seized. Part of this money was found in a large suitcase in a hotel in Brussels.
Investigations indicate that Qatar has made cash payments or donations through non-profit organizations to influence EU policymaking; an allegation that Doha has denied.
Avramopoulos served as the European Commissioner for Migration from 2014 to 2019. According to documents held by the Greek government, he was a member of the honorary board of a non-governmental organization called Fight Impunity from 2020 to 2021, which is linked to the 'Qatargate' case.
In June, when the arrest warrant was issued, Avramopoulos stated that his past activities related to Fight Impunity were "legal, audited, and verified," and any connection of his name to this case by Belgian authorities is "arbitrary, unacceptable, and suspicious."
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