Qatar threatens the European Union to cut off gas supplies

Report indicates that Qatar threatened to cut off energy supplies to Belgium and Europe due to the dispute over the corruption scandal that rocked the European Union.

Eva Kaili, a Greek member of the European Parliament and Vice-President of the European Parliament, is still being held after the police confiscated more than 900,000 euros in bags belonging to her and her Italian husband, Francesco Giorgi, an employee of the European Parliament.

At a court hearing on Thursday, Kaili will blame her husband for implicated her in the scandal without her knowledge.

Eva Kaili lawyer, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, said “She was used by her partner and the father of her child without her knowledge”.

He continued, “Her conscience is clear and she will fight to defend her innocence”.

Dimitrakopoulos, a prominent criminal lawyer in Greece, has advised Kaili since police raided her apartment in Brussels on December 9 and found €150,000 among the luggage.

Hours earlier, police had found more than €750,000 in a bag in a hotel room in Brussels where Kaili’s father was staying.

As vice-president responsible for relations with the Middle East, Kaili allegedly acted inappropriately to influence other MEPs in favor of Qatar.

Kaili will appear before the court in Brussels for a hearing and “will insist that the European Union’s recent move to forge closer ties with Qatar has nothing to do with the scandal”.

Dimitrakopoulos: “It is indisputable that the European Union is determined to strengthen trade relations with Qatar”.

Dimitrakopoulos noted that energy supplies, especially liquefied natural gas, are vital for Europe.

“The European Union wanted to secure energy imports to protect its citizens from freezing cold this winter… Eva Kaili had no executive power or authority… She didn’t act alone”.

And will accuse Kaili, other members of the European Parliament to prepare to invite The Prince of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al Thani, to address the EU Parliament next month.

The EU Parliament denied the allegations, but Dimitrakopoulos said a detailed investigation could implicate the entire European Parliament in the scandal.

On Friday, MEPs voted to suspend legislation on the visa liberalization deal with Qatar and ban all Qatari officials or business representatives from entering the European Parliament.

Official statement issued by Qatar’s official mission to the European Union said, “The decision to impose such a discriminatory restriction that limits dialogue and cooperation with Qatar before the end of the legal process will negatively affect regional and global security cooperation, as well as discussions on global energy”.

Qatari diplomats denied any role for Qatar in the money-for-influence scandal, and denounced the focus only on Qatar, despite suspicions that Morocco was also involved in a similar issue.

In a warning to Belgium and other European countries, Doha reminded Brussels that the Qataris are increasingly important suppliers of liquefied natural gas.

The statement said, that Qatar is an important supplier of liquefied natural gas to Belgium.