Belgian investigations reveal corruption networks of the Emirates in the European Parliament
Leaked documents revealed the involvement of the Emirates Red Crescent in corruption networks and bribing foreign officials to entice them to support the implementation of Abu Dhabi conspiracies, including within the European Parliament.
The documents revealed that the UAE was involved in a financial corruption case that has shaken the European Parliament for weeks by paying financial bribes to Member of Parliament Pierre Antonio Panziri through the Emirates Red Crescent.
La Libre in Belgium published an investigation confirming the existence of envelopes in the name of the Emirates Red Crescent containing large sums of money that were delivered to Panziri as a corruption scandal within the European Parliament.
The newspaper highlighted that Panziri works within the framework of pressure groups for the benefit of several countries such as Morocco, Qatar and Mauritania. Moreover, the investigations of the Belgian authorities showed his close association with the UAE.
The newspaper said that only a file from the Emirates Red Crescent was found among the properties seized from what it described as the main suspect in the European corruption case, Panziri.
The newspaper stated that the Emirates, through its Red Crescent, paid large financial bribes to Panziri to play a role in defending Abu Dhabi’s strategic interests within the European Parliament, as he was at the head of his non-governmental organization (Fight Impunity), which was established in 2019, but he is probably not the mediator.
According to the newspaper, Morocco was identified first and foremost, based on information from a “friendly country” since the start of the investigation launched by the Belgian authorities against the corruption network and its most prominent defendant Panziri.
Then the investigation revealed a suspicious relationship between Panziri and the authorities, as he was suspected of receiving money, including paying the rent of 1,200 euros for the Brussels apartment of Francesco Giorgi, a former parliamentary aide to Panziri, and paying him 25,000 euros in cash.
But later, it was revealed that one of the bags seized by the Belgian police from Panziri’s house contained an envelope bearing the emblem of the Emirates Red Crescent Society.
So far, the Belgian judicial authorities have charged four people with joining a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption in favour of foreign countries in the European Parliament. Some twenty searches have been carried out, and nearly €1.5 million in cash has been seized, but the investigation is far from over.
Suspicious activities funded by the Emirates Red Crescent in Brussels
Investigations into Panziri’s links with the UAE reveal that he organized several suspicious activities funded by the Emirates Red Crescent in Brussels over the years.
Among that was what was published by Frankfurt Magazine based on investigations regarding the new photos published by the Belgian Federal Police in the December 2022 raid and the discovery of money packed in envelopes of the Emirates Red Crescent.
The magazine reported that investigations showed that Panziri provided several services and organized activities with Emirati funding between 2016 and 2019, including holding a considerable exhibition in Brussels for three days.
It was revealed that organizing the exhibition was undertaken alongside Panziri, a prominent member of the Emirates lobby in Europe, and Ramadan Abu Jazar, who coordinated similar activities over the years.
For many years, Abu Jazar had suspicious relations within the framework of the Emirates lobby, including the International Network for Rights and Development (GNRD), headed by Louay Deeb, who was arrested and tried in Norway on charges of money laundering and illegal activities.
The aforementioned exhibition was designed to make the UAE a strategic partner for Europe in combating illegal immigrants from Syria and the Middle East.
At the time, the money flow from the UAE to Panziri came from two sources: Emirates Red Crescent in coordination with the Federal National Council (UAE Parliament). In addition, other members of the European Parliament, such as Antonio López Estóriz White, also participated in the event.
The Belgian police and justice consider the former Italian member of Parliament to be the mastermind of an alleged corruption scandal.
The magazine pointed out that the evidence published by Le Soir clearly shows the money in the Emirates Red Crescent in Arabic with its logo. The picture indicates that the UAE has pushed and pressured Panziri.
Panziri helped the Emirates Red Crescent reach out to some members of the European Parliament in Brussels to lobby for their government under the guise of human rights. The payment Panziri received from the Red Crescent in 2019 was designed for an exhibition on behalf of the Emirates Red Crescent in Brussels.
The ceremony was attended by Panziri’s friend, Antonio Tajani, former President of the European Parliament and current Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and expressed his deep appreciation for the UAE’s global humanitarian and relief efforts, which were manifested through the work of the Emirates Red Crescent, describing it as “truly impressive”.
His statement came during a brief speech he delivered on Tuesday, January 8, 2019, during the opening of the three-day Humanitarian Aid for Stability exhibition at the European Parliament in Brussels.
At the time, the exhibition’s opening was attended by Amal Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council, Fahd Abdul Rahman bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Emirates Red Crescent, members of the European Parliament, and many ambassadors.
During the exhibition, Antonio Tajani, former President of the European Parliament, expressed his deep appreciation for the “global humanitarian and relief efforts” made by the UAE, which were manifested through the work of the Emirates Red Crescent, describing them as “truly wonderful.”
Last month, the European Microscope for Middle East Issues revealed an examination of materials published by the chief investigative reporter in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir regarding the issue of what is known as the European corruption scandal, finding that it was misleading and contained severe professional errors.
The European Microscope stated that the Le Soir newspaper’s investigation included a picture of a bag that was claimed to be of Qatari money that was used in the corruption case. Still, after examining the pictures, it became clear that it was a picture of an envelope bearing the Emirates Red Crescent logo.
The examination results showed that the journalist prepared for verification resorted to publishing a picture of a bag to suggest that it was coming from the Qatari Red Crescent, relying on the Crescent logo, which is present in both logos the Emirates and Qatar Red Crescents alike.
It turned out that the photo published by the primary investigator of the newspaper was the same one who appears to have played a prominent role in feeding the Belgian authorities information on the case.
The journalist preparing the investigation published the picture of the money allegedly used in bribes on his Twitter account, attached to a report by the newspaper to suggest that it is a picture of funds for the Qatari Crescent. At the same time, he deliberately did not show it in high quality, noting that the picture was published without a declared or reliable source.
The European Microscope confirmed that this raises great doubts about the credibility of the investigation, the newspaper, and who is behind those responsible for publishing it.
The investigation was titled Espionage, Briefcases and Secret Meetings. Its publication came about a month after Belgian media accused Qatar of paying bribes and giving gifts to members of the European Parliament.
The newspaper published in its printed version the text of the investigation, along with a picture of the sums of money it claimed were used to provide bribes, concerning the crescent symbols to suggest that they are Qatari money.
The newspaper claimed that the investigation began in September 2022 and is based on testimonies and internal documents. However, the Belgian Public Prosecution Office announced the case in early December without directing an explicit accusation against the State of Qatar but merely mentioned the involvement of a Gulf state.
The corruption scandal in the European Parliament witnessed the manipulation of investigations and the publication of false and inaccurate records to intimidate the media and distort the course of facts.
The European Microscope said that the announcement by the Public Prosecutor in Belgium of opening a special investigation into the press leaks regarding the developments of the corruption case within the European Parliament showed the severity of the influence of external parties to manipulate the file.
The European Microscope indicated that the media leaks, which included accusations to both the State of Qatar and Morocco of providing gifts and sums of money to members of the European Parliament, entered into a clear stage of trolling and demonization without evidence and anticipating the results of the investigations to emerge.
European circles raised questions about the parties benefiting from deliberately exaggerating the developments of the investigations and targeting certain countries in return for covering up the involvement of the UAE, especially through the Emirates Red Crescent.
It is noteworthy that for years the UAE Red Crescent has been accused of carrying out intelligence activities and implementing conspiracies under the banner of humanitarian action, especially in the war in Yemen and the UAE’s military interventions in other countries in Libya.
