Former member of the European Parliament Pierre Antonio Panzeri, suspected of being the leader of the network in the European Union (EU) corruption scandal, has been released from house arrest, the Belgian public prosecutor's office confirmed to DPA on Friday, September 29th.
He is prohibited from contacting the other suspects and must remain in Belgium, said a spokesman for the prosecution.
The arrests of former and current members and deputies of the European Parliament last December, as part of an investigation into alleged illegal lobbying activities, shed light on one of the biggest corruption scandals at the heart of the European Union (EU).
Four suspects are accused of receiving bribes from Qatar and Morocco, in exchange for influencing the decisions of the European Parliament, and prosecutors charge them with corruption, money laundering and membership in a criminal organization.
Panceri, as the alleged mastermind of the "influence buying" corruption scandal, decided to reveal information about the case in exchange for a lighter sentence, Belgian prosecutors said on January 17.
The suspect in this case is the former vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili, who was released from house arrest in May.
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The scandal broke out at the beginning of December last year when the police conducted more than 20 raids, mostly in Belgium, but also in Italy.
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