In Belgium, parole under electronic supervision is considered “an extension of an arrest warrant, but with the only difference that the warrant is not executed in a prison”
On her release from prison Eva Kaili with electronic surveillance states in an extensive article in POLITICO. The release of Eva Kaili begins a new chapter in Qatargate is noted.
Kaili, a prominent Greek politician, was among the first to be arrested last December when authorities uncovered a wide-ranging investigation into bribery of EU lawmakers by foreign countries, including Qatar and Morocco.
The so-called Qatargate investigation has also ensnared her partner, Francesco Giorgi, and several other current and former EU MEPs, including former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri – the alleged head of a bribery ring, who struck a deal with Belgian investigators in January .
After Wednesday’s decision, Eva Kaili will be placed under house arrest with an “electronic bracelet”, like the other suspects in the Qatargate case as they leave Harren prison, north of Brussels. The transfer process from prison usually lasts several days.
Once out, she will return to her apartment just steps from the European Parliament – the institution she is accused of trying to corrupt.
“I can confirm to you that Mrs. Eva Kaili can go home because she has been placed under electronic surveillance by the investigator Klez,” said Sven Marie, Klez’s lawyer, referring to the Belgian judge leading the investigation, Michel Klez. “For now, I don’t want to make any other comment, other than that this decision seems only logical to me,” he added.
Francesco Giorgi, Kylie’s partner, is also out of jail under house arrest, but is not staying at Kylie’s apartment, according to two people familiar with the case who spoke to POLITICO.
Eva Kaili’s release from prison begins a new chapter in the months-long effort by Belgian authorities to unravel who may have been under the control of foreign governments while working in the European Parliament. But this does not mean that the process is soon headed for a trial, said Christian De Valkeneer, professor of criminal law at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium.
“It does not assume that the investigation is complete,” he clarified. In Belgium, De Valkeneer added, parole is under electronic supervision considered “an extension of the arrest warrant, but with the only difference that the warrant is not executed in a prison.” However, authorities will soon no longer have any defendants in jail, which raises questions about the where the survey is located.
For months, prosecutors’ “net” widened as police arrested two more EU MEPs, Belgian Marc Tarabella and Italian Andrea Cozzolino, as well as an accountant in Italy, Monica Bellini. But developments have slowed in recent weeks, with no further arrests and gradual release of suspects from prisons to house arrest. Cozzolino and Bellini are both in Italy, where local judges have asked Belgium for more information before making a decision on an extradition request.
In the midst of all this, Kaili’s detention has become the subject of intense debate about detention conditions in the Belgian prison system.
Her lawyers protest her detention, likening her condition to “torture” at one point. They pointed out that Kylie has a two-year-old child at home, and argued that the two should be together. Members of the Italian European Parliament also wrote a letter in February denouncing the treatment of the 44-year-old woman.
Similarly, in Italy, the lawyers of the two suspects, Cozzolino and Bellini, they argued that it would be inhumane to transfer their clients to Belgian prison cells. Essentially, they claimed, Belgian prosecutors wanted to put people in jail until they complied.
Belgian authorities have largely avoided responding publicly to allegations of detention conditions.
Deborah Bergamini, a member of the Italian parliament, recently became the first politician to visit Kylie in prison. In a recent interview, the Italian MP recalled the 44-year-old Greek woman’s dark description of her first days in prison.
“For the first six weeks, he was in a state of deep despair and suicidal thoughts,” Bergamini told POLITICO several days after her March 31 visit. “But after the first six weeks that changed. For the first 16 hours, there was no running water, it could not be washed and warmed.’
Kaili, the Italian MP said, felt she was being kept in prison “like a trophy”. Several times, Bergamini added, Kylie repeated the refrain: “I am subject to political prosecution.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Kylie’s (defense) team quickly began touting her move to house arrest as “a step forward” in the fight to clear her name.
“Eva Kaili is leaving prison with her head held high and with dignity, she has not confessed to crimes she did not commit,” said her Greek lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos. “She will fight for her innocence to the end.”
The decision by which Eva Kaili is released from prison with electronic monitoring:
Source: Skai
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have been an author at News Bulletin 247 for the past 2 years. I mostly cover politics news. I am a highly experienced and respected journalist. I have won numerous awards for my work.
