EU Parliament May Strip Qatar of Access to Its Premises Over Corruption Scandal - President

BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The head of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola on Thursday said she did not rule out the possibility of depriving Qatari representatives of access to the parliament buildings due to a corruption scandal.

"That is one of the questions I will put to the conference of presidents immediately," she told a briefing, answering a question about whether representatives of Qatar and other countries involved in the scandal will be deprived of access to parliament buildings.

"That's how decisions are taken."

The European Parliament's security and individuals involved are alerted to the fact that they will have to take quick action on entry, she added.

Authorities of Belgium, home of the European Parliament, carried out several arrests and searches in Brussels last week as part of the investigation into a corruption case linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

In particular, they arrested the Greek politician and the former vice president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili. Searches were conducted at a place of her residence.

Belgian law enforcement officers seized over 1.5 million euros ($1.6 million) in cash and valuable gifts as part of the investigation. As a result, Kaili was expelled from her political party in Greece, her homeland, and lost her office in the European Parliament. However, she categorically denies her guilt and any involvement in corruption.