Serious allegations of bribery cases, within the European Parliament - on the occasion of the Kaili affair - is being launched by the German Green MEP, Daniel Freud, who is also a member of the Anti-Corruption Committee.
Freud denounces how countries such as Qatar, Azerbaijan and Russia are attempting to buy influence in the European institutions, while some MEPs are receiving luxury gifts from foreign governments.
As Freud says, speaking to the Velt newspaper about the Kaili affair, "we have one of the biggest, if not the biggest corruption scandal in the European Parliament. We have strict rules against lobbyists, but third countries, such as Qatar, for example, are excluded from these rules."
And the Green MEP stresses that "in the past other countries, such as Azerbaijan and Russia, countries with major human rights problems, dictatorships, have tried to buy influence, to bribe MEPs with luxury gifts. Certain governments in the past have handed out luxury gifts to MEPs, such as expensive hotels, expensive trips, meals in luxury restaurants. We have said many times that they should not receive such gifts. These few are harming the serious work of the majority of MEPs."
He reveals that a vote was scheduled in the European Parliament in the coming days on whether Qatari citizens should be exempted from visa requirements in order to travel to EU countries.
As Freud says "this debate is not going to take place after the latest developments."
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