Italian court delays extradition ruling on suspect in EU graft probe

A court in Italy delayed its ruling on whether to extradite a suspect in the ongoing graft investigation that has affected the European Parliament. The delay comes as the judges are requesting more information from Belgium regarding a claim made by the suspect’s attorneys.

On Tuesday, the appeals court in the northern Italian city of Brescia postponed once again a hearing that will determine whether to extradite Silvia Panzeri to the authorities in Belgium. The court originally postponed the decision last month after Panzeri’s lawyers claimed the extradition request should be rejected because of overcrowding in jails in Belgium.

The judges requested information from Belgium about its prisons. However, during the reconvened meeting, they said they have not yet received the necessary information and decided to push back the hearing to January 16.

Panzeri is the daughter of former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, one of the individuals believed by Belgian prosecutors to be involved in the corruption scheme. Mr. Panzeri has denied any wrongdoing.

Panzeri’s trial follows that of her mother, Maria Dolores Colleoni, whose transfer to Brussels was already cleared by the same court but with a different set of judges. Colleoni is still in Italy as her lawyers filed an appeal against her transfer with the country’s highest appeals court that is set to decide in the coming days. Both Colleoni and Panzeri have been under house arrest in northern Italy since December 10 in accordance with a European arrest order issued by Belgian magistrates.

Both mother and daughter have also denied any wrongdoing.

Last month, Greek EU parliament member Eva Kaili, who is a central figure in the corruption investigation in Brussels, protested her innocence before a Belgian court and asked to be released from detention. Kaili’s lawyer Andre Risopoulos said the lawmaker was cooperating with the investigators.

Kaili was arrested on December 9 as Belgian law enforcement carried out a raid in several homes, finding $1.6 million in cash. Kaili was charged afterwards, along with three other suspects, including her boyfriend, Francesco Giorgi.

Prosecutors have long suspected that Qatar was trying to influence decisions in the European parliament. However, the Qatari government has strongly denied the accusations.