Greek Parliament Strips Avramopoulos Immunity Amid Explosive Brussels Corruption Probe

The Greek parliament on Thursday voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, thereby allowing Belgian authorities to proceed with their investigation into the high-profile Qatargate affair.

Out of 266 members of parliament present, an overwhelming 264 voted in favor of the decision, with only two declaring themselves "present".

This parliamentary action followed a unanimous recommendation from the parliament's Ethics Committee and a European arrest warrant issued by a Belgian investigating judge in June.

The 73 years old, Dimitris Avramopoulos, an MP for the ruling New Democracy party, brings a significant political background to the case, having served as European Commissioner for Migration from 2014 to 2019 and previously as the mayor of Athens.

He has vehemently denied any illegal activity, stating, "I have never participated, directly or indirectly, in any illegal activity and I have never acted to serve the unlawful interests of any state or third party."

In fact, Avramopoulos himself requested the lifting of his immunity, expressing his desire to cooperate fully with the competent authorities and to use the opportunity to present factual evidence to prove his lack of connection to the acts under scrutiny.

A key aspect of the Belgian investigation revolves around Dimitris Avramopoulos's association with the non-governmental organization Fight Impunity.

This NGO was founded by former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri, who is considered one of the central figures in the Qatargate scandal.

Avramopoulos served on the organization's honorary board between 2020 and 2021, a period after his term at the European Commission had concluded.

He has consistently maintained that his involvement with Fight Impunity was entirely lawful, vetted, approved, declared, and that any related fees were properly declared to tax authorities.

The European arrest warrant specifies serious allegations against Avramopoulos, including participation in a criminal organization, public corruption, and the laundering of proceeds from illegal activities, according to documents from the Greek authorities cited by international news agencies.

It is important to note that these charges are currently the subject of the Belgian investigation and do not constitute a guilty finding.

The broader Qatargate probe commenced in December 2022, when Belgian authorities initiated a series of searches and arrests.

These actions were in response to allegations that foreign governments sought to influence decisions within the European Parliament through illicit money and gifts.

The investigation has led to the seizure of approximately 1.5 million euros in cash and has seen the arrest of prominent figures such as former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri and the then vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili.

Both Qatar and Morocco have been accused of attempting to sway European decisions and improve their public image, although both nations have denied these allegations.

The Belgian investigation has faced significant delays, largely due to legal appeals challenging the lawfulness of certain procedural steps.