there is the green light from the European Parliament – Corriere.it

The European Parliament waives the immunity of Andrea Cozzolino and Marc Tarabella, as was foreseeable. The next steps in the investigation into the bribes financed in cash by Morocco and Qatar against the two MEPs of the Socialists & Democrats are not. their former colleague Antonio Panzeri and the others involved.

“I’m calm, I’m going to vote serenely,” says Tarabella as he enters the chamber where, in record time, the Plenary will give the go-ahead for the revocation. Hard to believe him. The Italian-Belgian deputy does not take the floor to defend himself, as Andrea Cozzolino did (who remained in Italy), the protagonist in recent days of passionate self-defense in the Juri commission, claiming his extraneousness to the facts and asking for the removal of the immunity (Tarabella declared it in the press). A choice that his lawyers — Federico Conte, Dezio Ferraro, Dimitri De Becó — define as “one of dignity and responsibility” to allow Parliament to debate, which did not take place, on “a crucial issue for its autonomy and independence” faced with a “generic” accusation in an investigation that started from the “opaque activity” of the Belgian secret services.

Almost two months after the arrests, thanks to the inquisitorial system that allows most of the documents to be kept secret, there are still many questions about what the precise responsibilities of each of the suspects are. In the documents sent to Parliament with the request for revocation by Judge Claise, we read that Panzeri declared that he had paid 120/140 thousand euros in bribes to Tarabella to favor Qatar. Cozzolino’s position is much more nuanced, accused of forming a “team” with Panzeri and Giorgi in favor of Morocco and in contact with 007 in Rabat. Without immunity, Cozzolino and Tarabella could be searched or wiretapped. The first in Italy, but only by Italian magistrates.