London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

EU anti-fraud office clarifies: Its MEP probe is separate from Qatargate

EU anti-fraud office clarifies: Its MEP probe is separate from Qatargate

The office examined one MEP, Eva Kaili, who has been linked to Qatargate, and another, Maria Spyraki, who hasn’t.
The EU’s anti-fraud agency said on Friday that a fraud investigation targeting MEPs Eva Kaili and Maria Spyraki is unrelated to a scandal over alleged bribes from foreign countries.

Eva Kaili, a Greek member of the European Parliament who was elected as a member of the Socialists and Democrats group, is in police custody as part of a large corruption investigation by the Belgian authorities over suspected payments from Qatar.

But on Thursday, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office announced a request to lift the immunity of Kaili and Maria Spyraki, a Greek MEP with the center-right European People’s Party. The Luxembourg-based EPPO said its request was based on a report from the EU’s anti-fraud agency, OLAF, regarding “suspicion of fraud detrimental to the EU budget, in relation to the management of the parliamentary allowance. ”

The announcement heightened questions about the behavior of European legislators.

On Friday afternoon, OLAF issued its own statement clarifying that its investigation of Kaili and Spyraki is related to allowances for parliamentary assistants and is a separate issue.

“There is no link between the issues investigated by OLAF and the issues under investigation in the ‘Qatargate,’ as the matter has been dubbed by many,” OLAF Director-General Ville Itälä said in a statement.

The anti-fraud office said it completed its investigation on November 23 and “the final report was subsequently sent to the EPPO.”

“OLAF’s conclusions,” it added, “concerned mismanagement of the parliamentary allowance for Accredited Parliamentary Assistants.”

“Financial and disciplinary recommendations were sent to the European Parliament in this regard. OLAF also intends to issue an administrative recommendation to the European Parliament.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×