The erstwhile politician of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, who was interviewed by the investigating justice last Thursday, was besides interviewed by the police as suspected in early 2024. Nevertheless, the function she played — or did not play — in the scandal was 1 of the longest-serving secrets since police first dealt with the crime group in December 2022.
“My name is defamed”
Arena said on Saturday the paper “La Libre Belgique” that The justice accused her of participating in a criminal organization, but not of corruption or money laundering. Most of the another main defendants were charged with all 3 charges. A erstwhile Euro MP told the paper that it was an excuse for her in light of media reports that suggested that she could receive gifts.
“For 2 years I have seen my name slandered and condemned in the press with accusations suggesting gifts that I allegedly received in return for favors — due to the fact that that is corruption — and yet the justice did not recognise any of these reports,” said Arena paper “La Libre”.
She sustained her innocence and reiterated the claim that the media were going after her, saying, “In fact, I am accused due to the fact that I know another people who are themselves accused of corruption.”
JULIEN WARNAND / PAPerstwhile Belgian MEP Maria Arena at the European Parliament session in Strasbourg, France, 12 December 2022.
Waiting for an investigation
The arena, a Belgian socialist politician, was chair of the European Parliament's subcommittee on human rights and the leading figure of its organization of Socialists and Democrats, erstwhile a scandal called a scandal broke out in late 2022. Qatargate affair.
In January 2023, Arena resigned as chair of the Human Rights Committee after Politico revealed that she had not declared a journey paid by Qatar (which she blamed her assistant). She remained a Euro MP for the European Parliament elections in 2024, in which she did not run.
The investigation of the Belgian authorities has not yet been initiated and faces respective legal failures by the legal teams of another main defendants, specified as erstwhile Parliament vice-president Eva Kaili and alleged chief of the corruption net, erstwhile MEP Antonio Panzeri.
