Socialist Greece MEP Eva Kaili, who is one of the vice-presidents of the European Parliament, was arrested in Brussels on Friday night as part of an investigation into suspected corruption involving Qatar, a source familiar with the matter told AFP.

Four other arrests have already taken place in the Belgian capital this morning in connection with the same case. A source said that Kylie, who is the partner of one of those four suspects, was “taken into custody for questioning” by police.

Eva Kaili, a member of the European Parliament from PASOK, was expelled from the party following an investigation by the Belgian authorities into allegations of corruption, writes Ekathimerini.

“Following recent events and an investigation by the Belgian authorities into the corruption of European officials, PASOK MEP Eva Kaili was expelled from the party by the decision of President Nikos Androulakis,” the center-left party announced.

“For several months, investigators from the PJF (Federal Judicial Police, NDLR) suspected the Gulf country of influencing the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament by paying significant sums of money or offering significant gifts to third parties with a significant political or strategic position in the European Parliament,” – previously explained by the federal prosecutor’s office, reports La Libre Belgique.

As for the beneficiaries, we are talking about individuals who occupy a “significant political and/or strategic position” in the European Parliament.

Therefore, a judicial investigation has been opened on suspicion of criminal organization, corruption and money laundering. Sixteen searches were carried out in Ixelles, Scharbeek, Krainem, Forest and Brussels.

Among the four arrested are a parliamentary aide from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, who is Ms Kylie’s partner, as well as former Italian MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, also a Socialist. The other two are the director of a non-governmental organization and the leader of a trade union of Italians.