Qatargate: Greek MEP Eva Kaili to Remain in Prison

Disgraced Greek MEP Eva Kaili, a suspect in the EU Qatargate scandal, is to remain in pre-trial detention for at least one more month a Brussels court ruled on Thursday.

Kaili’s lawyers argued that she should be released until her case is taken to court, but the court ruled against this.

The Greek MEP is one of four suspects in pre-trial detention in Belgium following police raids on addresses last month that turned up 1.5 million euros in cash.The other three suspects are former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri; the Italian boyfriend of Kaili, Francesco Giorgi, who is a parliamentary aide; and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the Italian head of an NGO.

They claimed that their client remained in solitary confinement for several hours with interrogations in between. They also maintained that she is unable to either warm up or take care of herself under the conditions.

Her lawyers also referred to the fact that she has a 22-month-old child who at the moment is staying with friends and relatives of the client.

The court ruled that Kaili can appeal the decision within the next twenty-four hours. It is not immediately clear whether her lawyers will pursue the option.