The assembly’s MEPs voted 625 to one to strip Greek socialist MEP Kaili of her vice-presidential role, despite her lawyer declaring that she was innocent and “has nothing to do with Qatar’s bribes.”
Members of the European Parliament on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to sack Vice President Eva Kaili from her position after the Greek MEP was implicated in a corruption scandal that has rattled the EU institution.
The assembly’s MEPs voted 625 to one to strip Greek socialist MEP Kaili of her vice-presidential role, despite her lawyer declaring that she was innocent and “has nothing to do with Qatar’s bribes.”
As the 44-year-old former TV news presenter sat in a Brussels jail cell, her colleagues in the Strasbourg parliament were scrambling to distance themselves from the taint of scandal, Daily Mail reports.
"This decision is effective immediately," European Parliament President Roberta Metsola wrote on Twitter following the vote Tuesday.
"We will continue to fully cooperate with relevant national law enforcement and judicial authorities," she wrote.
The heads of all political groups earlier launched the procedure to oust Kaili.
Kaili and three others were arrested on accusations of participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption, according to the Belgian prosecutor’s office.
The four suspects are accused of having influenced decisions in the European Parliament in favour of World Cup host Qatar in return for money and gifts.
Kaili, in the meantime, proclaimed her innocence through one of her lawyers.
"Her position is that she is innocent. She has nothing to do with money flows from Qatar, nothing at all," Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told the Greek TV station Open on Tuesday.
He was not allowed to comment on details, he said. He also had no idea whether money had been found and if so, how much.
Belgian media reported that bags filled with cash were found by police at Kaili's home in Brussels.
Several hundred thousand euros were seized in three different places, Belgium's public prosecutors office said Monday.
A total of 20 searches have been carried out including one raid at the European Parliament's seat in Brussels to seize IT data. Some searches took place in Italy.
The 44-year-old Kaili had already been suspended from her duties as European Parliament vice president following her arrest over the corruption allegations Friday.
Kaili was first elected member of the European Parliament in 2014 for the Greek socialist party and was a member of the socialist political group in the chamber.
Both memberships were suspended following her arrest.
Luca Visentini, the general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), who was also detained for questioning by Belgian authorities in the probe, said he is "innocent of any wrongdoing."
"I am pleased that the questioning has concluded and I was able to fully answer all the questions," he said in a written statement.
Visentini was released on Sunday after having been detained on Friday.