London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Nobel Prize winner Mukwege says he was ‘never’ paid by NGO at heart of Qatargate probe

Nobel Prize winner Mukwege says he was ‘never’ paid by NGO at heart of Qatargate probe

The Congolese doctor sat on honorary board of Fight Impunity, which other high-profile members have left amid the scandal.
Renowned Congolese doctor and Nobel Prize winner Denis Mukwege on Monday played down his role at one of the NGOs ensnared in the snowballing Brussels lobbying scandal involving alleged bribes from Qatar and Morocco.

Mukwege, famous for treating survivors of sexual violence at his Panzi Hospital in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, sat on the honorary board of the human rights group Fight Impunity, established in 2019 by former Italian Socialist MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who is now in jail pending trial in relation to the scandal.

Fight Impunity is among the groups at the heart of the so-called Qatargate corruption allegations, centered on whether Qatar and Morocco bought influence in the European Parliament, including from former Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili, who’s among the four so far charged in Brussels.

Mukwege is one of a long list of luminaries who Panzeri persuaded to join his honorary board, lending the NGO an aura of respectability despite the fact it was never registered in the EU’s transparency log. Former EU Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, for instance, has admitted to receiving €60,000 for his role on the honorary board.

Along with the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize, Mukwege also won the European Parliament’s 2014 Sakharov Prize for his work to combat the use of sexual violence in wars. Other members of the board said the gynecologist’s involvement helped persuade them to sign up too.

In a statement Monday, Mukwege’s Panzi Foundation said it “never received financial support from the NGO Fight Impunity; nor has our President participated in any of its meetings.” A spokesperson for Mukwege later clarified that the statement referred to in-person meetings. They also said he has resigned from the honorary board.

The statement said he did participate virtually in two events co-organized by Fight Impunity and the Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights related to his push for justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo, adding that the subcommittee, known in parliamentary shorthand as DROI, “regularly” invited him to take part in its work.

“We hope that the work of the European Parliament in promoting and protecting human rights around the world is not suspended or hindered by this scandal of corruption,” Mukwege’s statement said.

Mukwege is the most high-profile board member who was yet to speak out about the scandal that erupted on December 9 when Belgian authorities seized €1.5 million in cash amid raids around Brussels and made several arrests.

The center-right European People’s Party group has called for DROI’s work to be frozen pending further investigation, a proposal strongly contested by human rights NGOs and other political groups.

DROI’s chair, Belgian Socialist MEP Maria Arena, has not been charged or investigated but has multiple ties to Panzeri, who ran the committee during the last parliamentary mandate. The office of Arena’s parliamentary assistant Donatella Rostagno, who also moonlighted for Fight Impunity, was raided by the Belgian police earlier this month.

Belgian authorities have also seized computer equipment from the office of a Parliament official called Mychelle Rieu, who is the head of the DROI secretariat.

In an email to top DROI MEPs earlier this month, seen by POLITICO, Arena said she would temporarily not chair the panel’s meetings “until the facts are established.” She wrote: “Light has to be shed on all wrongdoings, the responsibility of everyone implicated needs to be established.”

The EPP has called on Parliament President Roberta Metsola to formally suspend her.

Arena has frequently championed Mukwege’s work on justice, gender-based violence and conflict minerals in the DRC.

Other members of the Fight Impunity honorary board have also resigned since the scandal broke, including former French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.

“All these people have been tricked by hooligans,” Cazeneuve told POLITICO.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×