A number of Moroccan officers have been questioned as a part of a high-profile investigation into alleged bribery by the north African state and Qatar on the European Parliament, Belgian prosecutors stated Saturday (16 December).
The interviews in Morocco — carried out by native authorities within the presence of Belgian investigators — have been the primary within the nation since Brussels launched a sprawling graft probe in 2022.
“Belgian investigators travelled to Morocco this week, together with the analyzing Justice of the Peace and a Justice of the Peace from the federal public prosecutor’s workplace, for investigative duties and interviews,” a spokesman for the federal prosecutor’s workplace instructed AFP.
The spokesman refused to present the identities of these interviewed.
However the RTBF information channel and Le Soir newspaper reported that one of many folks questioned was Morocco’s ambassador to Poland, Abderrahim Atmoun.
The 68-year-old diplomat is suspected of getting performed a pivotal position in serving to to funnel cash to repay European legislators.
The so-called “Qatargate” scandal — which rocked the EU’s governing establishments — focuses on purported makes an attempt by international governments to purchase affect on the European Parliaments.
Three EU lawmakers have been arrested within the investigation that noticed police raids in December 2022 uncover some 1.5 million euros in money at a string of addresses in Brussels.
Each Morocco and Qatar strongly deny involvement in any wrongdoing.
Regardless of the denials from Rabat and Doha, Belgian investigators have been excited about a number of officers from the 2 nations.
Belgium at one stage issued an arrest warrant for Qatar’s works minister Ali bin Samikh al-Marri.
However the warrant was rescinded by Brussels in Could as a part of makes an attempt to get Qatar to assist facilitate the discharge of a Belgian citizen held prisoner in Iran.
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