• Four people have been charged by Belgian police.
• Any misconduct has been refuted by Qatar.
• Cash worth around €600,000 was reportedly discovered.

Belgian investigators searched offices of the European Parliament in Brussels on bribe from world cup host Qatar. Any misconduct has been refuted by Qatar. On Tuesday, MEPs will discuss the controversy.

The 20th search since Friday was conducted, and Roberta Metsola, the parliament’s president, told MEPs that “democracy is under threat.”

Four people have been charged by Belgian police, including Greek MEP and vice-president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili.

Any misconduct has been refuted by Qatar. On Tuesday, MEPs will discuss the controversy.

Cash worth around €600,000 ($632,000; £515,000) was reportedly discovered at the residence of one suspect, €150,000 at the apartment of an MEP, and several hundred thousand euros in a bag in a Brussels hotel room, according to Belgian authorities. Mobile phones and computers were also stolen.

There have been searches in Italy and Brussels. Ten members of the parliamentary staff have had their IT resources “frozen” since Friday in order to prevent the loss of information crucial to the investigation.

Prosecutors stated in a statement on Sunday that four individuals detained by Belgian police had been accused of “membership in a criminal organisation, money laundering, and corruption.”

As one of the 14 vice presidents, Ms. Kaili, an eight-year MEP, was placed on administrative leave by parliament president Metsola.

She has also been kicked out of the Greek Pasok center-left party and suspended from the Socialists and Democrats group in the parliament.

All of Ms. Kaili’s assets are reportedly blocked by Greek prosecutors.

As part of the investigation into claims that Qatar bribed EU officials to gain influence, six people were detained on Friday. Later, two were released.

Ms. Kaili is believed to be one of the suspects, however no one has been formally identified.

Her partner Francesco Giorgi, a legislative assistant, is apparently among the three additional suspects, who are all Italian citizens.

Sources claim that former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who currently heads the human rights organisation Fight Impunity, is one of the suspects. According to reports, his daughter and wife were also detained.

Luca Visentini, general secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation, is another suspect, said the sources.Brussels journalist Jessica Parker, the information made public by Belgian officials over the past few days left many in the EU community speechless.

Speaking to our correspondent, MEPs expressed their disbelief at the claims’ scope and blatantness.

“The democracy in Europe is under siege”
Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, termed the claims “extremely serious” and demanded the formation of a new ethics authority to regulate the union.

Ms. Metsola promised the MEPs that the integrity of the parliament will be restored.

She declared, “Our free and democratic societies are under attack, as is European democracy.”

The bribery inquiry, according to watchdogs and MEPs, may be one of the largest corruption scandals in the history of the parliament.

According to prosecutors, a Gulf state has been meddling in the political and economic decisions of the parliament for a number of months, particularly by targeting aides.

Qatar has been identified by local media, but the Qatari government has denied any wrongdoing and called such accusations “gravely incorrect.”

The Middle East is one of Ms. Kaili’s vice-presidential responsibilities. She has previously stood up for Qatar.

The only institution in the EU to be chosen directly is the European Parliament. The 705 members of parliament chosen by citizens of the 27 EU member states gather to review new laws and pass them into European law.

In principle, MEPs are immune from prosecution, but this protection does not apply when “a member is detected in the act of committing an infringement,” according to the parliament.

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