FILE PHOTO: Belgian lawmaker Marc Tarabella looks on before members of the European Parliament vote on lifting immunity for him and Italian lawmaker Andrea Cozzolino, both of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats, who Belgian investigators want to question over a cash-for-influence corruption scandal, in Brussels, Belgium February 2, 2023. REUTERS/Yves Herman
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian prosecutors have charged another European Union lawmaker, Marc Tarabella, with corruption in a cash-for-influence scandal that shook the European Parliament, Belgium's daily Le Soir reported.
Tarabella, a Belgian socialist, was detained on Friday. Le Soir quoted federal prosecutors as saying on Saturday he was charged with corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organisation.
Tarabella's lawyer, Maxime Toller, said his client denied any wrongdoing during the questioning by Belgian authorities.
The so-called Qatargate started last December when authorities charged four people linked to the European Parliament - which sits in the Belgian capital Brussels - over allegations that World Cup host Qatar lavished them with cash and gifts to influence decision-making.
(Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Frances Kerry)
