The 66-year-old prosecutor is the man who handled the Qatargate case, kept the investigations under wraps for months and finally “exposed” the corruption scandal within the European Parliament
In the endless corridors of the Palais de Justice in Brussels, Michel Claise is known as “the Sheriff” for his relentless pursuit of his targets – and how much he seems to be… enjoying it.
The 66-year-old prosecutor is the man who handled the Qatargate case, kept the investigations under wraps for months and finally “exposed” the corruption scandal within the European Parliament.
In a recent interview about the revelation of the Qatargate scandal and the searches and raids, Cleese, as head of the Anti-Corruption Commission, OCRC, replied: “This is a lot of fun.”
“Bingo!” was his response to a successful raid on another case.
That “exuberance” is what makes Clees stand out, John Crombez, Belgium’s foreign minister in charge of fighting corruption between 2011 and 2014, told Politico.
“He’s like an investigative judge – an entertainer. That’s fantastic. He just circles everything, and it all stems from his deep-rooted social anxieties. That’s what makes him so extraordinary.”
His outgoing personality and public display of his achievements are very… anti-Belgian, as Belgians are generally taught to be humble about their every achievement, according to the article.
Belgian investigative magistrate Michel Claise is the crime-fighting (and writing) man driving allegations of Qatari cash and influence peddling at the heart of the EU.
Crooked eurocrats be warned: he won’t stop. https://t.co/4z1ZQJLT2o
— POLITICOEurope (@POLITICOEurope) December 14, 2022
The enthusiastic Mr. Cleese has led several successful anti-corruption “operations” over the past 20 years and is a prolific author on the subject.
For him, financial crime has destroyed fundamental aspects of society. “White-collar crime is the cancer of democracy,” he famously wrote in one of his books, 2008’s Le Forain (The Showman), about the fraud methods employed by those prosecuted by the economic police department.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
