Belgian authorities have issued a European arrest warrant for former European Commissioner and current Member of Parliament Dimitris Avramopoulos as part of the investigation into the Qatargate scandal.
According to reports, the former commissioner is accused of participating in a criminal organization, with authorities linking the case to a financial gain of approximately 73,000 euros.
According to the same reports, Mr. Avramopoulos had been summoned to testify before Belgian authorities about a year ago but failed to appear.
The investigation centers on his collaboration with a non-governmental organization founded by former Member of the European Parliament and key figure in the Qatargate scandal, Antonio Panzeri. According to the same sources, after stepping down from his position as European Commissioner, Mr. Avramopoulos provided services to this NGO in exchange for a monthly fee of 5,000 euros. The total amount of the fees paid is reportedly the basis for the financial benefit being investigated by the authorities.
As for the former commissioner, his associates emphasize that his collaboration with the NGO was preceded by correspondence with the European Commission’s Ethics Committee, which had given the “green light” for this specific activity. The same sources note that the collaboration with the NGO in question had been completed before the Qatargate scandal.
According to reports, Greek judicial authorities have been notified of the arrest warrant, but it has not yet been executed, as Dimitris Avramopoulos’s status as a member of parliament requires that his immunity be lifted by the Hellenic Parliament.
The file containing the evidence from the Belgian authorities will be forwarded by the Athens Court of Appeals Prosecutor’s Office to the Supreme Court Prosecutor’s Office and from there, via the Ministry of Justice, will reach the Parliament.
It should be noted that when the investigation into “Qatargate” began, Mr. Avramopoulos had maintained that all his actions were entirely lawful.