Tag: corruption

Not just Qatargate: Eva Kaili also faces probe into EU kickbacks scheme

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Qatargate aside, Eva Kaili is facing a world of pain for a different reason altogether. 

Documents seen by POLITICO reveal fresh details about a separate criminal investigation that the Greek EU lawmaker is facing regarding allegedly fraudulent payments involving four former assistants in the European Parliament from 2014 to 2020. 

The probe is looking at Kaili for three potential fraudulent activities: whether she misled Parliament about her assistants’ location and work activities; took a cut of their reimbursements for “fake” work trips she orchestrated; and also took kickbacks from part of their salaries, according to a letter from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) to Parliament President Roberta Metsola, seen by POLITICO. 

Another Greek EU lawmaker, Maria Spyraki, has also been part of the same probe. Investigators accuse her of misleading the institution about her assistants’ activities and of telling them to file expenses for fake work trips. However, the documents do not allege that Spyraki took kickbacks from salaries or false reimbursements.

In total, investigators say Kaili owes the European Parliament “around €100,000,” according to a person familiar with the case.

The details offer the first real insight into the inquiry since it became public in December, only days after Kaili was put in jail under suspicion that she was involved in an even bigger scandal, Qatargate — the alleged bribery ring that prosecutors say involved countries such as Qatar and Morocco paying off European Parliament members.

And with all Qatargate suspects now out of detention, and no new arrests since February, attention is now shifting to the fraud case. MEPs in the Parliament’s legal affairs committee will discuss Kaili’s case behind closed doors for the first time on Tuesday. 

Kaili, who was moved to house arrest earlier this month, is currently fighting the prosecutor’s request to strip her immunity — a privilege afforded to EU lawmakers. But the EU prosecutor’s office, which investigates criminal fraud linked to EU funds, has argued its probe is on solid ground.

“The current investigation pertains to strong suspicions of repeated fraud and/or other serious irregularities,” European Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi said in the letter seen by POLITICO, which was sent to Parliament in December and requested both Kaili and Spyraki be stripped of their immunity. 

EPPO declined to comment on the case for this article. Kaili, through an attorney, said she has promised to pay back any money owed and to comply with any recommendations. Spyraki told POLITICO that her case has nothing to do with Kaili, and she confirmed she has never been accused of taking kickbacks.

“I have no dispute on the budget based on my responsibility as supervisor,” she said. “I have already paid the relevant amount and I have already asked the services to reassess my case financially.”

Kickbacks

The European prosecutor went public about the fraud inquiry on December 15, just days after Kaili had been arrested in Brussels in connection with Qatargate. 

The notice named both Kaili, who belonged to the center-left Socialists and Democrats grouping, and Spyraki, a former journalist and former spokesperson for the center-right Greek party New Democracy, which is affiliated with the large European People’s Party group in Brussels.

The announcement came the same day Kövesi sent her immunity-lifting request to Metsola. The documents also named four former staffers of Kaili and two former assistants to Spyraki as potentially participating in the different schemes. 

But officials publicly offered few specifics about the inquiry, only noting that it was unrelated to the Qatargate affair, which had also ensnared Kaili’s life partner Francesco Giorgi, as well as several other current and former EU lawmakers. 

Now the details are starting to emerge. 

According to the letter seen by POLITICO, the EPPO probe is examining both Kaili and Spyraki over irregularities regarding their assistants’ “physical presence at the place of employment” and “related European Parliament decisions on working time.”  

According to the same letter, another line of inquiry is “fake missions, submission of false supporting documents and undue reimbursement claims for missions expenses by the APAs on the request of Ms Kaili and Ms Spyraki.” APA is an acronym for accredited parliamentary assistant.

Eva Kaili poses for the “MEPs for #millennialvoices”campaign in 2016 | European Parliament

Kaili specifically is also under investigation for receiving “payback” from her assistants’ salaries and the falsified expenses.

The public prosecutor’s probe follows an investigation by the EU’s anti-fraud office, known as OLAF, which was completed on November 23 of last year. OLAF then transferred its case to EPPO, it said in a December statement.

OLAF said it would leave any follow-up to the public prosecutor’s office, declining to comment beyond its statement four months ago. 

Immunity fight

The EPPO case is also becoming entangled in the fight over whether to lift Kaili’s immunity.

Immunity is a special privilege MEPs enjoy that is intended to protect them from being arbitrarily prosecuted for what they say or do as EU lawmakers. It can be waived following a recommendation by the legal affairs committee and a vote by all MEPs.

Parliament is now starting that process for Kaili, having already kicked it off for Spyraki. MEPs will discuss Kaili’s immunity at the legal affairs committee gathering on Tuesday.

Investigators say Kaili owes the European Parliament “around €100,000” | European Parliament

Spyros Pappas, Kaili’s lawyer, argued that typically, such fraud cases are closed after OLAF finishes its probe — as it did with Kaili — with the lawmaker paying back whatever the office says is owed. He also questioned how officials could justify lifting immunity for actions that stretch back to 2014. 

“One cannot but question both the legality and the opportunity of the initiative taken by EPPO,” he said. “The answer can only be given by the General Court of Justice of the EU.”



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Tennessee Republicans Are Racist, Corrupt Dicks Both Publicly And Privately, How Shocking

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What is going on with Republicans in the state of Tennessee? (State motto: That State That Looks A Bit Like One Of Those Shapes You Learned About In Math Class.) The GOP caucus in the state House has found so many ways to step on their own dicks lately that we can safely assume they will all pee sitting down for the rest of their lives.

If we’re picking the most prolific dick-stepper, we’re going with Tennessee Speaker Cameron Sexton, the Republican representative from Crossville. Or is he? Popular Information’s intrepid Judd Legum (full disclosure: yes, we’re very distant cousins, we think, but we have never met; believe it or not, Legums are innumerate in a couple of very specific sections of the mid-Atlantic) has been investigating whether Sexton actually lives in his district, or if he bought an expensive house in Nashville, moved his family there, but has nonetheless been dinging Tennessee’s taxpayers to the tune of thousands of dollars of per diem expenses.

Who wants to guess which way this is going?

Thanks to Legum’s reporting, Sexton admitted last week that he did indeed move his family to Nashville, even though the state legislature is only in session four months out of the year. Furthermore:

Sexton went to considerable lengths to obscure his purchase of his home in Nashville. He established an anonymous trust, the Beccani Trust, to buy the property. Cameron Sexton’s name does not appear anywhere on the documents memorializing the sale and the mortgage. A financial advisor based in Utah, Bret Bryce, was appointed trustee and signed most of the documents.

But Sexton’s wife, Lacey Sexton, signed the warranty deed for the property as the “affiant.”

This is 100 percent how you do real estate purchases when everything is on the up and up and you do have nothing to hide, such as whether you may now be ineligible under Article II, Section 5a of the Tennessee Constitution to represent the place you used to live that is two hours away from the state capital.

Sexton did at some point buy a condo in Crossville as a way-less-than-adequate residency fig leaf. Then he neglected to pay the property taxes on it until Popular Info brought it to the public’s attention.

Also, there is this:

But members who live more than 50 miles outside of Nashville are entitled to a much larger per diem, $313 in 2022, to cover the cost of lodging in Nashville. Sexton has taken the larger per diem, which is pegged to the cost of a hotel room in Nashville. On the forms, Sexton claims a roundtrip commute of 236 miles.

These per diems are also available when the legislature is out of session if a member has to travel to Nashville to conduct official business. Sexton makes extensive use of that privilege, consistently charging taxpayers the larger amount.

Since 2021, Sexton has charged Tennessee taxpayers $92,071 in per diem expenses.

Ninety-two thousand dollars in under two years! A fella could easily pay off two years of property taxes on a condo with that windfall, assuming he’s not spending it all on hair gel.

And to think, if Sexton and his caucus had merely censured those three Democrats for disrupting a legislative session instead of removing them from office, it would have been at best a thirty-second story on CNN and they would not have brought the attention of national reporters down on their own heads. Congrats, you idiots.

READ MOAR:

TN House GOP To Expel Democrat Terrorists Who Called For Saving Kids’ Lives Without Permission

Let’s Watch Tennessee House Beclown Itself By Expelling Three Democrats For ‘Insurrection’

Say It Loud: Justin Pearson’s Always Been Black And Proud

Meanwhile, someone secretly recorded Sexton’s caucus clawing at each other’s throats like highly aroused lemurs in a closed-door meeting. Then that someone leaked the audio to Justin Kanew of the Tennessee Holler:

If you listen to the recording, you will first hear one Rep. Jason Zachary very upset that Democrats have been trashing him as a racist simply because he and his mostly white fellow Republicans ponderously lectured two young Black legislators, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, before expelling them from the House for the crime of leading a protest against a gun control bill while Black:

“I think now more than ever, everyone should recognize the Democrats are not our friends…For the last three days all I have heard from them is how this is the most racist place…They destroy the foundation of the Republic and who we are, or we preserve it.”

Racist! Just because you gave the equivalent of the legislative death penalty to two young Black men over a gun violence protest when much less severe rebukes were available to you! So unfair!

Then a bunch of legislators get mad at one guy who did not vote to expel Gloria Johnson, the white lady who protested with Jones and Pearson but was spared expulsion by the skin of her teeth. Personally, we think they should be grateful. Expelling Johnson would have made the Republicans look like huge misogynists to go along with the racism. This way they had plausible deniability on that one. Fellas, maybe you should consider giving that one dude a hearty backslap and several shots of Tennessee whiskey instead of the full force of your whiny opprobrium.

All of this leads up to a chud of a legislator named Scott Cepicky giving the twenty-first century version of Patrick Henry’s “Give me liberty or give me death” speech:

“I think the problem I’m having is if we don’t stick together, if you don’t believe we’re at war for our Republic, with all love and respect to you, you need a different job. The left wants Tennessee so bad, because if they get us, the Southeast falls and it’s game over for the Republic.”

Sir, if we may interrupt here and make one suggestion: decaf. Now please continue:

“This is not a neighborhood social gathering. We are fighting for the Republic of our country right now. And the world is staring at us – are we gonna stand our ground? I’ve gotten multiple phone calls from other reps going, we sure hope you guys stand up. Because maybe it will give us the courage to stand up and push back against what’s going to destroy our Republic…I’m gonna have to swallow this seeing Mr. Jones back up here walking these hallowed halls that the greats of Tennessee stood in and watch them disrespect this state…”

Cepciky then put on a powdered wig, leg breeches, and a tricorn hat before running off to sing “Rocky Top” in front of the nearest VFW.

[Popular Info / Twitter]

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Heads roll in Ukraine graft purge, but defense chief Reznikov rejects rumors he’s out

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KYIV — Heads are rolling in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s expanding purge against corruption in Ukraine, but Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov is denying rumors that he’s destined for the exit — a move that would be viewed as a considerable setback for Kyiv in the middle of its war with Russia.

Two weeks ago, Ukraine was shaken by two major corruption scandals centered on government procurement of military catering services and electrical generators. Rather than sweeping the suspect deals under the carpet, Zelenskyy launched a major crackdown, in a bid to show allies in the U.S. and EU that Ukraine is making a clean break from the past.

Tetiana Shevchuk, a lawyer with the Anti-Corruption Action Center, a watchdog, said Zelenskyy needed to draw a line in the sand: “Because even when the war is going on, people saw that officials are conducting ‘business as usual’. They saw that corrupt schemes have not disappeared, and it made people really angry. Therefore, the president had to show he is on the side of fighting against corruption.”

Since the initial revelations, the graft investigations have snowballed, with enforcers uncovering further possible profiteering in the defense ministry. Two former deputy defense ministers have been placed in pre-trial detention.

Given the focus on his ministry in the scandal, speculation by journalists and politicians has swirled that Reznikov — one of the best-known faces of Ukraine’s war against the Russian invaders — is set to be fired or at least transferred to another ministry.

But losing such a top name would be a big blow. At a press conference on Sunday, Reznikov dismissed the claims about his imminent departure as rumors and said that only Zelenskyy was in a position to remove him. Although Reznikov admits the anti-corruption department at his ministry failed and needs reform, he said he was still focused on ensuring that Ukraine’s soldiers were properly equipped.

“Our key priority now is the stable supply of Ukrainian soldiers with all they need,” Reznikov said during the press conference.

Despite his insistence that any decision on his removal could only come from Zelenskyy, Reznikov did still caution that he was ready to depart — and that no officials would serve in their posts forever.

The speculation about Reznikov’s fate picked up on Sunday when David Arakhamia, head of Zelenskyy’s affiliated Servant of the People party faction in the parliament, published a statement saying Reznikov would soon be transferred to the position of minister for strategic industries to strengthen military-industrial cooperation. Major General Kyrylo Budanov, current head of the Military Intelligence Directorate, would head the Ministry of Defense, Arakhamia said.

However, on Monday, Arakhamia seemed to row back somewhat, and claimed no reshuffle in the defense ministry was planned for this week. Mariana Bezuhla, deputy head of the national security and defense committee in the Ukrainian parliament, also said that the parliament had decided to postpone any staff decisions in the defense ministry as they consider the broader risks for national defense ahead of another meeting of defense officials at the U.S. Ramstein air base in Germany and before an expected upcoming Russian offensive.  

Zelenskyy steps in

The defense ministry is not the only department to be swept up in the investigations. Over the first days of February, the Security Service of Ukraine, State Investigation Bureau, and Economic Security Bureau conducted dozens of searches at the customs service, the tax service and in local administrations. Officials of several different levels were dismissed en masse for sabotaging their service during war and hurting the state.     

“Unfortunately, in some areas, the only way to guarantee legitimacy is by changing leaders along with the implementation of institutional changes,” Zelenskyy said in a video address on February 1. “I see from the reaction in society that people support the actions of law enforcement officers. So, the movement towards justice can be felt. And justice will be ensured.” 

Yuriy Nikolov, founder of the Nashi Groshi (Our Money) investigative website, who broke the story about the defense ministry’s alleged profiteering on food and catering services for soldiers in January, said the dismissals and continued searches were first steps in the right direction.

“Now let’s wait for the court sentences. It all looked like a well-coordinated show,” Nikolov told POLITICO.  “At the same time, it is good that the government prefers this kind of demonstrative fight against corruption, instead of covering up corrupt officials.”

Still, even though Reznikov declared zero tolerance for corruption and admitted that defense procurement during war needs reform, he has still refused to publish army price contract data on food and non-secret equipment, Nikolov said.

During his press conference, Reznikov insisted he could not reveal sensitive military information during a period of martial law as it could be used by the enemy. “We have to maintain the balance of public control and keep certain procurement procedures secret,” he said.

Two deputies down

Alleged corruption in secret procurement deals has, however, already cost him two of his deputies.  

Deputy Defense Minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who oversaw logistical support for the army, tendered his resignation in January following a scandal involving the purchase of military rations at inflated prices. In his resignation letter, Shapovalov asked to be dismissed in order “not to pose a threat to the stable supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a result of a campaign of accusations related to the purchase of food services.”

Another of Reznikov’s former deputies, Bohdan Khmelnytsky, who managed defense procurement in the ministry until December, was also arrested over accusations he lobbied for a purchase of 3,000 poor-quality bulletproof vests for the army worth more than 100 million hryvnias (€2.5 million), the Security Service of Ukraine reported.  If found guilty he faces up to eight years in prison. The director of the company that supplied the bulletproof vests under the illicit contract has been identified as a suspect by the authorities and now faces up to 12 years in prison if found guilty.

Both ex-officials can be released on bail.  

Another unnamed defense ministry official, a non-staff adviser to the deputy defense minister of Ukraine, was also identified as a suspect in relation to the alleged embezzlement of 1.7 billion hryvnias (€43 million) from the defense budget, the General Prosecutors Office of Ukraine reported.  

When asked about corruption cases against former staffers, Reznikov stressed people had to be considered innocent until proven guilty.

Reputational risk

At the press conference on Sunday, Reznikov claimed that during his time in the defense ministry, he managed to reorganize it, introduced competition into food supplies and filled empty stocks.

However, the anti-corruption department of the ministry completely failed, he admitted. He argued the situation in the department was so unsatisfactory that the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption gave him an order to conduct an official audit of employees. And it showed the department had to be reorganized.

“At a closed meeting with the watchdogs and investigative journalists I offered them to delegate people to the reloaded anti-corruption department. We also agreed to create a public anti-corruption council within the defense ministry,” Reznikov said.

Nikolov was one of the watchdogs attending the closed meeting. He said the minister did not bring any invoices or receipts for food products for the army, or any corrected contract prices to the meeting. Moreover, the minister called the demand to reveal the price of an egg or a potato “an idiocy” and said prices should not be published at all, Nikolov said in a statement. Overpriced eggs were one of the features of the inflated catering contracts that received particular public attention.

Reznikov instead suggested creating an advisory body with the public. He would also hold meetings, and working groups, and promised to provide invoices upon request, the journalist added.

“So far, it looks like the head of state, Zelenskyy, has lost patience with the antics of his staff, but some of his staff do not want to leave their comfort zone and are trying to leave some corruption options for themselves for the future,” Nikolov said.

Reznikov was not personally accused of any wrongdoing by law enforcement agencies.

But the minister acknowledged that there was reputational damage in relation to his team and communications. “This is a loss of reputation today, it must be recognized and learned from,” he said. At the same time, he believed he had nothing to be ashamed of: “My conscience is absolutely clear,” he said.



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Ukraine launches a wave of anti-corruption busts ahead of EU summit

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Ukraine on Wednesday announced searches of government buildings and the homes of high-profile ministers and oligarchs as part of a clampdown on corruption. The move comes ahead of a gathering of European leaders in Kyiv to discuss Ukraine’s path towards EU membership. 

Among those targeted by coordinated searches on Wednesday were residences linked to influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former interior minister Arsen Avakov. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired, said the head of Zelensky’s party David Arakhamia. 

These are the latest in a string of high-profile efforts to tackle corruption in recent weeks.  

In the midst of war with Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has upped the ante in an internal fight against corruption, pledging to make as many personnel changes “as necessary” even at the highest levels of office. 

“People in the government who do not meet the basic requirements of the state and society should not occupy their seats,” he said in a video address on Tuesday.  

Zelensky was elected in 2019 on an anti-establishment and anti-corruption platform. Yet efforts to ongoing efforts to stamp out misconduct have been overshadowed by the Russian invasion almost a year ago.

Ukraine currently ranks a low 116 out of the 180 countries listed for perceived corruption, according to anti-corruption group Transparency International. 

 

Ukraine’s ongoing fight against corruption has included implementing major government and judicial bodies to tackle misbehaviour. © FRANCE 24

 

Multi-million-dollar fraud 

Investigators from the Ukraine’s security service SBU released images of a search from the home of Kolomoisky, who was barred from entering the United States over allegations of corruption and undermining democracy. 

Prior to the Russian invasion, Kolomoisky was one of the country’s richest men, with holdings in a slew of industries, including media, aviation and energy. 

The security service said the search had been launched over an investigation into the embezzlement of 40 billion hryvnia (about $1.1 billion) from energy holdings.

Last week Ukrainian authorities fired around a dozen senior figures, including defence officials and a top aide to the president’s office. 

One such official was former deputy defence minister Vyacheslav Shapovalov, who worked on logistical support for the army. The ministry has been accused of signing food contracts at prices up to three times the market rates. 

The SBU also said it had uncovered a scheme by the head of the Kyiv tax office involving “multimillion-dollar” fraud schemes. They accuse the official of having abused a position of authority. 

Additionally, the government has also seized stakes in the energy companies – oil producer Ukrnafta and refiner Ukrtatnafta – as part of moves to consolidate the war effort. 

More dismissals are possible. The State Bureau of Investigation and the Prosecutor General’s Office said Wednesday they had informed several senior officials they were under investigation for crimes including misappropriation of state funds and misuse of state property. 

“Every criminal who has the audacity to harm Ukraine, especially in the conditions of war, must clearly understand that we will put handcuffs on him,” said Vasyl Maliuk, the head of the SBU, on Wednesday. 

Speed vs integrity 

Renewed efforts to tacks corruption are thought to be aimed at appeasing EU leaders who arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for a summit to discuss Ukraine’s bid to join the EU. 

Ukraine currently has EU “candidate status”, with Brussels saying strengthening the judiciary, fighting corruption and curbing the clout of powerful oligarchs are key conditions for joining. 

“Ukraine wants to show it can present a stable government that can deliver at the negotiating table, that can demonstrate the value systems and the commitment to transparency that are needed to be able to be part of the EU,” says Dr Melanie Garson, associate professor of international security and conflict resolution at University College London, UK. 

Yet, among EU member states, there are widely divergent views on how fast the process will go. Ukraine’s strongest cheerleaders – including Poland and the Baltic states – insist Kyiv is making big strides against corruption and progress could come quicker than expected.  

But others insist that while making Ukraine a candidate sent the right symbolic message of support in light of the war, working through the nitty-gritty of the major reforms needed would be long and arduous. 

“The EU needs to strike a balance between speed and integrity,” says Joel Reland, research associate at UK in a Changing Europe. “It clearly wants Ukraine to be given fast-track membership but, at the same time, it can’t totally compromise on its principles of membership, which define the integrity of the EU.” 

Even so, French President Emmanuel Macron warned last May it could take “decades” before Ukraine meets the criteria and achieves full membership. 

The upper hand 

In the meantime, demonstrating values such as transparency is not just a question of values. 

In 2016, then US vice president Joe Biden withheld loan guarantees from Ukraine until the country’s prosecutor general, Viktor Shokin was dismissed as part of a push for anti-corruption reforms developed at the State Department and coordinated with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. 

In 2023, countries providing crucial military and financial aid to Ukraine still have “the upper hand to force their position”, says Garson, associate professor of international security and conflict resolution. “Zelensky is very aware of this and is trying to reiterate increased bipartisan support across the world.” 

Although the public dismissal of figures – including a high-level defence official – in the midst of war may seem like a risk, not tacking corruption during wartime can have even more serious long-term consequences.   

Funding for reconstruction and recovery efforts can be “drastically undermined by wrongdoers pocketing funds, both during the war and after”, said Transparency International in its 2023 report. 

“The visibility that the work has been done to make this a place where donors don’t feel their funds are going into the pockets of oligarchs is really important,” adds Garson. “There needs to be confidence in government funds coming in and from external investors – it’s critical to long-term strategic rebuilding.” 

(with AFP) 

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Live: Top diplomat Josep Borrell announces EU plan to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers

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European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen and the bloc’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell arrived in Kyiv with a delegation of EU leaders on Thursday. In an interview with FRANCE 24, Borrell said the EU plans to double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it is training to 30,000. Follow our live blog below for all the latest developments. All times are in Paris time (GMT+1). 

10:49am: Norway to raise spending from wealth fund to aid Ukriane, says PM 

Norway will increase the spending from its sovereign wealth fund in the coming years to fund military and civilian aid to Ukraine, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told parliament on Thursday.

The Nordic country’s $1.3 trillion wealth fund, one of the world’s largest investors, has seen a sharp rise in revenue inflows as the price of Norwegian oil and gas exports soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The prime minister did not specify how much money Norway would spend on Ukraine aid, but said it would be a multi-year commitment. “This will lead to a temporary increase in spending from the sovereign wealth fund,” Stoere said. He added that the extra spending should not impact the Norwegian domestic economy, avoiding any impact on interest rates.

9:51am: Russia says it does not need help from ex-Soviet allies in Ukraine

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Moscow does not any need help from its ex-Soviet allies for its military campaign in Ukraine.

Lavrov said Russia had everything it needed for the conflict, and had not asked members of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) – a Moscow-led alliance that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan – to provide material support for what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine.

9:40am: Top diplomat Josep Borrell announces EU plan to train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers

In an interview with FRANCE 24, the EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borrell said the EU plans to double the number of Ukrainian soldiers it is training to 30,000. 


 

9:09am: Russian FM Lavrov says ‘we want Ukraine conflict to end, but are responding to West’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that Russian forces would respond to the delivery of longer-range Western weapons to Kyiv by trying to push Ukrainian forces further away from its borders to create a safe buffer zone.

In an interview on state TV, Lavrov said everybody wanted the conflict in Ukraine – which Moscow calls a “special military operation” – to end, but that the West’s support for Kyiv was playing an important role in how Russia approaches the campaign.

9:00am: Austria expels four Russian diplomats

Austria is expelling four Russian diplomats for behaving in a manner inconsistent with international agreements, a reason often invoked in spying cases, the Austrian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday without giving specifics.

Two of the four diplomats declared personae non gratae and ordered to leave the country by February 8 are stationed at the Russian Embassy to Austria while the other two work at the Russian mission to the United Nations in Vienna, the ministry said in a statement.

8:46am: EU chief arrives in Kyiv, says bloc ‘stands by Ukraine’

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said she had arrived in Kyiv with a team of commissioners on Thursday, a day before a Ukraine-European Union summit in the war-torn country.

“Good to be back in Kyiv, my 4th time since Russia’s invasion … We are here together to show that the EU stands by Ukraine as firmly as ever. And to deepen further our support and cooperation,” she wrote in a tweet.


8:37am: Frontline hotspot Bakhmut braces for Russian advance

Russian forces have been trying to seize control of Bakhmut in the eastern region of Donetsk for months in what has become the longest and bloodiest battle since Russia invaded Ukraine last February.

Despite the flow of Western weapons, Russia has in recent days claimed gains in the region.

The fight for Bakhmut has turned the town with a pre-war population of roughly 75,000 into a ghost town dotted with hedgehog anti-tank defences and burnt-out cars. There is no gas, no electricity, no running water. Around 7,000 people, many of them elderly, still live in the town despite the constant sound of artillery exchanges, gunfire and drones flying overhead.

7:53am: Ukraine targets oligarch, ex-minister in graft clampdown

Ukraine expanded a clampdown on corruption on Wednesday, launching coordinated searches of residences linked to a divisive oligarch and former interior minister as well as tax offices in the capital.

FRANCE 24’s Andrew Hilliar, reporting from Kyiv, discusses the searches in the video below. 


 

The searches came ahead of a key summit with the EU and appeared to be part of a push by Kyiv to reassure military and financial donors in European capitals and Washington that Ukraine is tackling systemic graft.

The searches have targeted influential billionaire Igor Kolomoisky and former interior minister Arsen Avakov, said the head of Zelensky’s party, David Arakhamia. Law enforcement also raided tax offices in the capital and senior customs officials were fired.

FRANCE 24’s Fraser Jackson takes a closer look at Ukraine’s bid to stamp out corruption in the video below.


 

5:00am: Top EU officials gather in Ukraine 

More than a dozen top European Union officials arrive in Kyiv on Thursday with promises of more military, financial and political aid, a symbolic trip meant to highlight support for Ukraine.

But the EU is set to dash Ukraine’s hopes of being swiftly allowed membership, stressing the need for more anti-corruption measures and unwilling to admit a country at war, the biggest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.

“It is a very strong signal that we are in Kyiv during the war. It’s a signal to the Ukrainian people. It’s a signal to Russia. It’s a signal to the world,” said a senior EU official.

Top members of the EU‘s executive European Commission will meet their counterparts in the Ukrainian government on Thursday. The head of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and president of the EU Council Charles Michel will meet President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday.

4:51am: Russians mark anniversary of Stalingrad victory 

President Vladimir Putin is set to preside Thursday over commemorations to mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory at the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest in World War II.

The high-profile celebrations in the southern city of Volgograd come as the Kremlin is drumming up support for its offensive in Ukraine, launched nearly a year ago to “de-Nazify” Ukraine, whose soldiers fought alongside Russia against Nazi Germany.

Putin is expected to travel to Volgograd, formerly known as Stalingrad, to take part in a wreath-laying ceremony at a war memorial and speak at a concert, the Kremlin said. 

The battle of Stalingrad lasted more than six months, ending with the surrender of German troops on February 2, 1943, after more than a million people were killed.

>> Read more: ‘They would have preferred hell’: The Battle of Stalingrad, 80 years on

1:33am: Strike on residential building in Ukraine’s Kramatorsk leaves at least 3 dead

Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday that at least three people were killed when a Russian rocket struck a residential building in the eastern city of Kramatorsk.


 

“Two hours ago, the Russian occupiers hit a residential building in the centre of the city with a rocket,” said regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko. 

“Two hours ago, the Russian occupiers hit a residential building in the centre of the city with a rocket and completely destroyed it,” regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said on the Telegram messaging app.

The regional police said on their official website that it was “preliminarily known that there are three dead civilians and 20 wounded”. 

 

© France Médias Monde graphic studio

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and REUTERS)

 



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The European Parliament, a model of transparency tarnished after ‘Qatargate’ arrests

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Shaken by accusations of corruption levelled against several of its legislators, the European Parliament – historically seen as a leader in transparency – is coming to terms with the arrests of several of its MEPs on suspicion of accepting bribes from Doha in exchange for defending Qatari interests in Strasbourg.

Allegations of corruption involving Vice President Eva Kaili along with five MEPs and parliamentary attachés, the European institution once seen as a leader in lobbying transparency has seen its image tarnished in recent days by a scandal dubbed “Qatargate”. 

“The European Parliament is committed to promoting transparency and ethics when it comes to lobbying activities,” reads its official website. It also states that “together with the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, it uses a common transparency register” to monitor the activities of “interest representatives”. Each institution has the option to take additional measures and MEPs are instructed to publish information regarding their communication with lobbyists.

Third countries are often not required to sign the transparency register

The EU transparency register records the actions of more than 12,000 lobbying groups whose objective is to influence public decisions made at the European level. They may act on behalf of consultancy firms, companies, trade unions, religious organisations or academic institutions. Representatives of local authorities and public bodies may also be involved.

This database also records the interests defended, the legislation and public policies targeted, and the budgets allocated.

All lobbyists must be registered before they can obtain accreditation to the European Parliament, be heard by a parliamentary committee, or meet with European Commissioners, members of their cabinets or directors of the Commission’s administration.

As parliamentarians must make note in their online diaries of all formal meetings with lobbyists, the European register, in theory, is aware of all meetings taking place between an elected representative and those representing special interests. This rule applies to committee chairmen, text rapporteurs and parliamentary group aides (only their staff members are exempted).

These transparency rules were put in place in the early 2000s. The European register, on the other hand, emerged in 2011 in the wake of the “fake lobbyists” scandal, when three MEPs were tricked by journalists from the British newspaper The Sunday Times into tabling amendments in exchange for bribes of up to €100,000.

Over the years, measures have been put in place to promote transparency, regulate conflicts of interest with MEPs and define relationships with lobbyists, says Cécile Robert, a professor at Sciences Po Lyon specialising in European institutions and politics.

Political scientist Olivier Costa wrote an opinion piece for La Tribune on Tuesday reminding readers that the European system is not without its flaws. “It is highly irregular that emissaries from third countries [countries outside of the EU defending their interests before the EU parliament] are not required to sign the transparency register, as all other people who plan to visit European institutions must do so,” writes the researcher, arguing for a necessary change in the way the European Parliament operates.

Permanent representations (embassies in Brussels, for example) are exempt from signing the European register, says Costa, a lobbying and regulations expert. Furthermore, other third countries like Qatar – which, just like other organisations representing interests, should technically be included in the transparency register – are also often let off the hook.  

These third countries fall under a special category in this register (open access). “Currently, there are only four entries, so only four lobbies [associated with third countries] are listed, which differs entirely from reality,” says Robert, adding that Qatar is not on this short list.

Meetings masquerading as diplomatic visits

As parliamentarians must be listed in the European register, they are not allowed to enter into dealings with states that don’t appear on the register. However, when a state representative and parliamentarian “meet within the context of diplomatic visits”, says Robert, “no declaration is necessary, because they are not lobbyists as such [according to the European definition]”.

For instance, if the vice-chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Human Rights Subcommittee meets with a public figure while on an official visit to a particular country, neither of them is required to sign the transparency register. A third country’s representatives must only register if they have come to Brussels to talk to an MEP in charge of a particular dossier and advocate for their country’s interests in relation to that dossier.

“In this case they are invited to sign the register, but as the register is not compulsory they can also dispense with it. It is up to the member of parliament, however – for whom signing is mandatory – to make the decision not to meet with them,” says Robert.

A lesson for every scandal

So are insufficiently restrictive regulations the problem? Yes, but not only, according to Robert. Other issues, such as “the way in which the rules governing MEPs’ code of conduct are structured, or the very limited resources allocated to security”, may have encouraged a scandal such as Qatargate.

Accepting money in exchange for a speech or adding an amendment to a European text (or even attempting to do so) has long been prohibited in the European Parliament, says Robert. “The rule is certainly insufficient in certain respects, but it was put in place after certain acts were committed. On the other hand, if there had been more security and means to check parliamentarians’ appointments, it might have been possible to limit certain interactions.”

Following a scandal of the magnitude of the one currently engulfing the European Parliament, the legislation will have to evolve.

Since 2011, “progress has been made, but at too slow a pace to circumvent the most unprincipled lobbyists and greediest MEPs”, writes Costa.

On Monday, French Social Democrat MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, chairman of the Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all EU Democratic Processes, called for a committee of enquiry and a high authority tasked with ensuring transparency in public life at the European level, based on France’s HATVP, to be created. The HATVP is an independent French administrative authority responsible for ascertaining and preventing potential conflicts of interest among French public servants.


The “positive side” to these scandals, Robert says, is that they are an opportunity for strengthening the rules. “This will inevitably lead to more supervision, transparency, and efforts to make these practices compatible with the exercise of democracy,” she says.

This article has been translated from the original in French.



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Police raid more European Union Parliament offices in corruption probe

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Belgian police conducted more raids at European Parliament offices on Dec. 12 as the legislature’s President pledged to launch an internal investigation into corruption allegations and the bloc’s top official called for the creation of an EU-wide independent ethics body.

Prosecutors investigating alleged influence peddling by a Gulf country at the European Parliament charged four people over the weekend with corruption, participation in a criminal group and money laundering.

Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili of Greece was relieved of her duties.

The prosecutors declined to identify the country suspected of offering cash or gifts to Parliament officials in exchange for political favours.

Several members of the assembly and some Belgian media linked the investigation to Qatar, which is currently hosting soccer’s gala event, the World Cup.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied any wrongdoing.

Police conducted Monday’s raids at European Parliament offices in Brussels to seize computer data belonging to 10 Parliamentary assistants, prosecutors said.

Officers have conducted 20 raids in total as part of an investigation launched four months ago.

“Several hundred thousand euros have been seized in three different places: 6,00,000 euros at the home of one of the suspects, several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase seized in a room of a Brussels hotel, and about 1,50,000 euros in an apartment belonging to an MEP,” prosecutors said.

Ms. Kaili, who was relieved of her duties over the weekend, was expelled on Monday from the legislature’s Socialists and Democrats group with immediate effect.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the head of the EU’s executive arm, said the accusations against Ms. Kaili threatened the confidence EU citizens have put in the 27-nation bloc’s institutions.

She said the independent ethics body she proposed establishing would cover lobbying activities at the European Commission, the European Council and European Parliament, as well as at the European Central Bank, the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Auditors.

The EU does not already have comprehensive lobbying regulations.

“The principles of having such an ethics body where there are very clear rules on what has to be checked, how and when and what has to be published, how and when would be a big step forward,” she said.

As the European Parliament began its last plenary session of the year in Strasbourg, France, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola promised “there will be no sweeping under the carpet.” She said the Parliament and European democracies were “under attack” by “malign actors, linked to autocratic third countries.” “We will launch a reform process to see who has access to our premises, how these organizations, NGOs and people are funded, what links with third countries they have,” Ms. Metsola added. “We will ask for more transparency on meetings with foreign actors and those linked to them. We will shake up this Parliament and this town, and I need your help to do it.” On Friday, police in Belgium’s capital carried out multiple raids as part of the investigation and reported seizing cash, computer equipment and mobile telephones.

The federal prosecutor’s office, without identifying any individual, said four of six people detained that day were subsequently charged, and two were released.

Raids also took place in Italy on Sunday.

Prosecutors have confirmed that a Parliament member was arrested but declined to confirm it was Ms. Kaili, 44, a former TV news anchor.

They said they suspect “the payment of large sums of money, or the offer of significant gifts” to people holding with influential positions at the European Parliament.

Ms. Metsola relieved Ms. Kaili of her duties over the weekend.

Ms. Kaili’s party in Greece also suspended her and publicly distanced itself from remarks she made in the EU Parliament last month praising Qatar, Qatar came under heavy international pressure to introduce labour reforms in recent years as it sought to build new World Cup stadiums in record time, often using migrant workers who toiled for long hours under harsh conditions.

The EU and Qatar have strengthened their economic relationships since the start of Russia’s war in Ukraine. Moscow slashed supplies of natural gas used to heat homes, generate electricity and power industry in Europe in response to EU sanctions, worsening an energy crisis that is fuelling inflation.

The EU has looked for alternatives to buy liquefied natural gas on a long-term basis, notably in Qatar.

In April, the European Commission proposed lifting visa requirements for short EU stays by Qatari nationals. Ms. Metsola said negotiations with the Parliament on the proposal would be postponed.

“I was scheduled today to announce the opening of the negotiating mandate for the visa waiver report with Qatar and Kuwait,” she said.

“In light of the investigations, this report must be sent back to committee.” Asked whether Belgian authorities were in touch with the European Commission as part of their investigation, von der Leyen said she had no clue. She added that the commission was reviewing its own political transparency register.

“If any kind of new information occurs, we will have to act and react to that,” she said.

Several Socialists and Democrats lawmakers fell on their swords after the group said that any member being investigated should be suspended, or should give up certain of their duties if any of their staff members were under investigation.

Belgian EU lawmaker Marc Tarabella suspended himself outright. His compatriot, Maria Arena, stepped down as chair of the assembly’s Human Rights Committee “Following the revelations of suspicion of corruption linked to Qatar and the European Parliament, and the search of one of my assistants in the framework of this affair, I have decided that temporarily I will no longer preside over meetings of the Human Rights Committee,” Ms. Arena tweeted.

Italian S&D lawmaker Pietro Bartolo also temporarily stepped down as shadow rapporteur for the Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

Another Italian member of the European Parliament, Andrea Cozzolino, stopped performing certain tasks temporarily.

Ghent University Professor Hendrik Vos, an EU expert, told The Associated Press the case could have lingering repercussions on the generally positive image of the European Parliament.

“There has never been such a massive corruption scandal hitting the Parliament,” he said. “It is so profound because it jars so fundamentally with what Parliament pretends to stand for. The Parliament pretends to stand for transparency, unable to be bribed, to defend fundamental values. And then, you get something like this.”

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Qatar bans beer for football fans at World Cup stadiums

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Qatar has banned beer at World Cup football stadiums, just two days before the opening match, the New York Times reported Friday.

The decision comes after several changes to the rules on the consumption of alcohol caused tensions between FIFA, world football’s governing body, and the Muslim host country, where drinking in public is prohibited.

However, beer will still be available in luxury suites reserved for FIFA officials and other wealthy guests, the New York Times reported citing an official who asked not to be named.

Qatari officials has changed their minds on the subject of alcohol, forcing Budweiser — which has the exclusivity to sell beer at World Cup matches — to relocate stalls selling beer outside the stadiums because the Qatari rulers wanted alcohol to be less prominent. Now it has been banned altogether. FIFA said in a statement.

That’s a problem because FIFA has a €72 million contract with Budweiser. The brewing giant tweeted “Well, this is awkward…” after the news broke.

The move is also likely to further damage this World Cup’s — and FIFA’s — already battered reputation, with concerns over what other last-minute changes the Qatari government will make.

Qatar has faced criticism ever since it was awarded the tournament in 2010 for its treatment of migrant workers, as well as its stance on the LGBTQ+ community and women’s rights.

FIFA’s decision to award Qatar the 2022 World Cup in 2010 has been highly controversial since day one as bribery and corruption allegations dogged the bidding process.

An official Qatari statement is expected later Friday.

Fans of Belgian beer look away now: Bud Zero, which is non-alcoholic, will still be available.





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