An important part of their lawyers’ strategy rests on proving that Pier Antonio Panzeri, the ringleader of the alleged corruption network, lied to police and thus broke the terms of a deal he struck with the Belgian prosecutor’s office. Under the deal, struck in January 2023, Panzeri admitted his guilt and vowed to tell the truth to investigators in exchange for a shorter prison sentence.
Giorgi’s lawyer Monville also sent a letter to MEPs, defense lawyers and the Belgian prosecutor’s office which includes covert recordings of a police investigator involved in the case allegedly saying he knows Panzeri is lying. This, Monville writes, should be used as part of the investigation into the conduct of the Belgian authorities.
The recording, which was obtained by Giorgi without police knowledge after they raided his house in April 2023, was leaked to the media on Monday.
A spokesperson for the federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement Monday that the work of the investigation consists of verifying the veracity of Panzeri’s statements and that the conclusions from the probe into the Belgian authorities will be taken into account.
Through her lawyers, Kaili has consistently denied any wrongdoing in a scheme in which police say Panzeri and others accepted money from Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania in exchange for pushing their interests in the European Parliament.
Monville, on behalf of Giorgi, declined to comment, as did Panzeri’s legal team. Contacted through her lawyers, Kaili was not immediately available for comment.
