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The Greek parliament on Thursday voted to lift the parliamentary immunity of former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, clearing the way for Belgian authorities to continue their actions in the investigation into the affair known as Qatargate.
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Of the 266 MPs present, 264 voted in favour of lifting his immunity, while two declared themselves “present”. The parliament’s Ethics Committee had earlier unanimously recommended the move. The procedure followed the issuing of a European arrest warrant by a Belgian investigating judge in June.
The 73-year-old Dimitris Avramopoulos, an MP for the ruling New Democracy party, served as European Commissioner for Migration from 2014 to 2019 and previously as mayor of Athens. He has categorically denied any illegal activity.
He had himself requested the lifting of his immunity, stating in a memorandum to parliament that he wished to cooperate fully with the competent authorities.
“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,” he said.
He added that he is not seeking protection from the investigation, but the opportunity “to present the factual evidence” and to prove that he has no connection with the acts under scrutiny.
Relationship with the NGO Fight Impunity
The Belgian investigation concerns, among other things, Dimitris Avramopoulos’s links with the non-governmental organisation Fight Impunity, founded by former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri, one of the central figures in the case.
Dimitris Avramopoulos sat on the organisation’s honorary board in 2020-2021, after the end of his term at the European Commission.
He has maintained that his cooperation with Fight Impunity was entirely lawful and that the related fees were declared to the tax authorities.
“My involvement in the organisation Fight Impunity was entirely lawful, vetted, approved, declared and taxed,” he said when the warrant became public in June.
The European arrest warrant relates to allegations of participation in a criminal organisation, public corruption and the laundering of proceeds from illegal activities, according to a document from the Greek authorities cited by international news agencies.
The charges remain the subject of the Belgian investigation and do not constitute a guilty finding.
The long story of the Belgian authorities’ investigation
The probe began in December 2022, when Belgian authorities carried out a series of searches and arrests over allegations that foreign governments sought to influence decisions in the European Parliament through money and gifts.
In the course of the case, Belgian authorities have seized around 1.5 million euros in cash. Those arrested included former Italian MEP Antonio Panzeri and the then vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili.
Qatar and Morocco have been accused of trying to sway European decisions and improve on their public image. Both countries have denied the allegations.
The Belgian investigation has been significantly delayed because of legal appeals challenging the lawfulness of certain procedural steps.
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