– This is a big scandal, Guro Slettemark tells Nettavisen.
He is general secretary of Transparency International Norway, an organization whose aim is to fight global corruption.
Slettemark does not hide what he thought when he first read of the crackdown on corruption after a series of arrests in Brussels.
– I have to state the obvious that the inquiry must run its course, but if it is correct, it is a serious attack on democracy, he says.
Belgian police have arrested Eva Kaili, one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament, and four other social democrats, on corruption charges.
According to the newspaper Le Soir, everything can be linked to Qatar.
Read also: The former Norwegian leader of Fifa talks about what he was offered: to hammer at the World Cup in Qatar
Also Danish Supplemental magazine writes that Qatar is, among other things, suspected of having acquired political influence.
The news agency writes it on Monday AFP extension that Greek authorities have now frozen all of Kaili’s assets, after she was charged with corruption over her alleged involvement in a Qatar-related corruption scandal.
Several homes and offices were searched, and police confiscated telephones and at least €600,000 in cash. The amount corresponds to approximately NOK 6,3 million. According to the indictment, the case involves illegal lobbying for a Gulf state, which according to various sources is Qatar, writes NTB.
The 44-year-old Greek praised Qatar as recently as November when she spoke to the European Parliament.
– Qatar is a pioneer when it comes to workers’ rights, it says in a video played by AFP extensionand also points out that Qatar has both abolished the Kafala system and introduced a minimum wage.
Deposed as Vice President
The news of the arrests hit like a bomb, and on Tuesday morning the EU Parliament voted by a large majority to remove Eva Kaili from the position of vice president.
The 44-year-old Greek Social Democrat was stripped of all her duties and responsibilities on Friday, but the decision to oust her as vice president required the support of at least two-thirds of members of parliament.
Kaili herself claims through her lawyer that she is innocent and has nothing to do with the Qatari bribes.
Normally, as a member and vice-president of the European Parliament, Kaili would have immunity, but there is an exception in Belgian law, and that is if you are caught in the act. She is said to have been in possession of bags of money when she was captured.
Here’s why the World Cup in Qatar is controversial:
- Since the award in 2010, there has been a rain of corruption and money laundering allegations against Fifa. Of the 22 people who participated in the vote for the Gulf State to win the World Cup, 16 were suspended, charged or jailed.
- Due to the extreme heat, the league will be held in the winter, mid-season for the vast majority of players.
- Seven out of eight World Cup arenas were built from scratch, and the working conditions of migrant workers in the country were a hotly debated topic in the run-up to the World Cup. A report by The Guardian in 2021 showed 6,500 workers have died in Qatar since the award 12 years ago. Furthermore, the “Kafala system”, which means that employees cannot change jobs or move home without employer approval, has received massive criticism. Qatar, for its part, has said that human rights criticism is unfair and is also said to have disrupted the Kafala system in the country.
- The WC host said everyone is welcome to the November championship, despite the fact that the country is governed by Sharia law. In principle, this means that homosexuality can be punished with up to seven years in prison. According to Human Rights Watch, several LGBT people have been documented to be monitored and arrested due to their online activity.
Kilder: Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, Sky News.
– Very serious
Among those arrested over the weekend was also a former Italian social democratic deputy in the EU Parliament and leader of the international union Ituc, suspected of having received money from Qatar.
Luca Visentini was elected general secretary of the ITUC in November. The organization has been a strong critic of Qatar for many years, but a couple of years ago the organization turned around and started praising the host of the World Cup for introducing reforms.
According to Belgian media, Qatar’s cause was a matter of defending the much-discussed soccer World Cup and reforms on human rights and the rights of migrant workers.
– These leaders are opinion makers, and when it turns out that influence comes because they’ve been bought and paid for, it’s very bad, says Slettemark.
He questions Visentini, who at one point boasted that Qatar had made giant strides in relation to the construction of the soccer World Cup.
– As it appears in retrospect, one has to ask questions about credibility. It might appear that Qatar has been adept at buying influence, if that is correct.
Monday writing ITUC although Visentini was released on Sunday, after being questioned by the police.
– I am glad that the interrogations are over and that I was able to answer all the questions. Should any further allegations be made, I look forward to denying them, as I am innocent. Any form of corruption is completely unacceptable, and I am committed to fighting corruption, says Visentini himself in a statement.
He underlines that there is still work to be done in Qatar.
– I also want to confirm the position I have taken publicly that more pressure needs to be put on Qatar regarding workers and other human rights. The situation today is still not satisfactory, as I told the media last time I was in Qatar.
Ekstra Bladet refers to the two Belgian newspapers Le Soir and Knack, and also writes that anti-corruption investigators suspect that Qatar influences the economic and political decisions of the EU Parliament.
The potentially explosive case comes in the midst of the World Cup in Qatar, and will involve corruption and money laundering.
The investigators suspect that the Gulf states have tried to influence the economic and political decisions of the EU Parliament, by paying large sums of money or large gifts to third parties.
Judicial authorities do not mention Qatar, but according to Le Soir and Knack, it is the host of the World Cup that needs to be discussed.
– Can start guessing why
Andreas Selliaas, who runs idrettspolitikk.no, points this out in a thread Chirping that most of those recently arrested praised Qatar’s labor reforms.
He also points out that the former ITUC secretary general was initially very critical of Qatar, before the tide suddenly turned.
– At the congress, when the new general secretary was elected recently, hardly a word was said about Qatar. Now you can start guessing why, he writes.
The illegal lobbying took place as Qatar, currently hosting the World Cup, wanted to improve its reputation following criticism of the country’s treatment of migrant workers and human rights record.
On November 1, it was reported on Twitter that Kaili had met with Qatar’s labor minister. After the meeting, she said she welcomed Qatar’s work on labor reforms and wished her good luck with the soccer World Cup, according to NTB.
In an interview on Monday, Visentini told AFP that he welcomed Qatar’s progress on labor reforms but that more pressure will be needed after the World Cup.
Prosecutors say the investigation focuses on a possible criminal organization and allegations of corruption and money laundering.
