“A mother’s imprisonment is always a tragedy, but sometimes it’s necessary,” Brussels federal prosecutor Frederick Van Leeuw said of her months-long imprisonment. Eve Kyliefacing serious charges in the case Cathargate. In an interview published today by the Belgian newspaper Le Soir, Mr. Van Leu denied that the Belgian authorities acted harshly.

Asked to comment on whether he considered the four-month pre-trial detention of the former Vice-President of the European Parliament, who was in prison at the same time as Antonio Panzeri, who had pleaded guilty, to be “merciless”, the Belgian prosecutor replied: “There is no cruelty. It is true that four months is a long time, but let’s not forget that the investigation is difficult, and the allegations – corruption, money laundering, participation in a criminal organization – are serious. It should also be remembered that if the investigator decides to take into custody, the lawfulness of the detention must be verified by several judges: the prosecutor’s office, the judge of the council within five days from the date of the decision to take into custody. , and finally the Court of Appeal, before indictment, by three other judges. Therefore, the law provides many safeguards to prevent arbitrary detention.”

Asked about Ms Kylie’s interviews this past weekend with Liberation, El Mundo and Corriere della Serra in which she talks about abuse in prison, difficulty accessing a lawyer after her arrest, and “unjustified” pre-trial detention , prosecutor Van Leu simply said that if he replied that “it would be a violation of the confidentiality of the investigation and the presumption of innocence” and that “the evidence will be presented to the court in due course.”

With regard to Ms Kaili’s claims that she was not often allowed to see her child in Haren’s prisons, the Belgian prosecutor apologized, saying that it was not part of his job, but added that a check had been made and it had been found that the usual process by allowing a certain number of visits. “Miss Kylie asked for privileges that she did not receive. However, I know that the investigators were sensitive to her problem. The conclusion of a mother is always a tragedy, but sometimes it is necessary. A child’s place is not in prison. Many voices have been raised against Ms. Kylie’s imprisonment, but who cries when, for example, a Roma mother with children is imprisoned?” said Mr. Van Leu.

The Belgian prosecutor also stressed that about fifteen financial crime investigators are working on the Qatargate case and that the investigation could be closed during this year. “Fifteen investigators is a great investment for the police. From the very beginning, we have mobilized significant funds because we do not want this case to get stuck, and we want those concerned to know about their fate as soon as possible,” said Mr. Van Leu, adding: “I hope that the main case will be completed by the end of this year. But let’s not forget that a court case has a dynamic that is constantly evolving with any new evidence. For this reason, the presumption of innocence is an important element until the end of the process.”

As for other suspects in the case, such as Qatari Labor Minister Al Marri, the Belgian prosecutor said: “I have contacted Qatar’s Attorney General many times, who obviously finds it difficult to investigate his own minister, but he promised to cooperate on other aspects of the case. “.

Finally, Mr. Van Leeuw stated that “corruption is one of the biggest threats to our society”, and the Belgian authorities have made fighting corruption their top priority.

Source: RES-IPE