The Italian Journal reveals the UAE’s hidden hands in the European Parliament’s corruption case
The Journal newspaper revealed the hidden hands of the UAE in what is known as the European Parliament corruption case and accusations against Morocco, Qatar, Mauritania and other countries.
In a report translated by the European Microscope for Middle East Issues, the newspaper said that Abu Dhabi took revenge on human rights activist Nicolo Vega Talamanca, Secretary-General of the non-governmental organization No Peace Without Justice, by inciting the corruption scandal and putting his name in it.
The newspaper stated that the Emirati retaliation against Talamanca came against the backdrop of his preparation of a report revealing the secrets of the Emirati lobby in Europe and its suspicious activities to gain influence and support for Abu Dhabi.
The newspaper confirmed the strong involvement of the UAE in the alleged corruption case and retaliation against Talamanca, who had previously prepared a 150-page report on the Emirati lobby in the European Union and the European Parliament.
The newspaper’s report stated that the alleged corruption case in the European Parliament came against the background of “hostility between Arab countries and settling scores to conquer a privileged position in relations with Europe.”
It highlighted that the investigation files that shook the European Parliament, particularly the large group of left-wing Socialists and Democrats, are still hypotheses.
And it warned that “the problems that the investigation creates for the Qatari government are viewed with satisfaction by Doha’s rival Gulf states, especially the UAE.”
The report stated, Does the Abu Dhabi government have a hand in blowing up the scandal? The question was asked a few days ago by the Dagospia news website.
Yesterday, the case was re-launched and explored by the American news site Nyweekly, which directly calls into question the connection of Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emirati National Security Adviser, to the alleged case.
The site reconstructs the contacts established by the Emirates in both the United States of America and Europe and links this network to some of the targeted operations against Qatar.
The site accused Abu Dhabi of orchestrating the scandal to divert attention from the investigations conducted in Brussels regarding the activities of lobbyists in UAE payments.
And the newspaper emphasized that the pursuit of the “provocateur” does not raise the question about the seriousness of what – starting with bags full of money – appears against Panziri and the network that revolves around him, but perhaps that helps frame the story better.
Also, to understand if the Panziri clique is the only one moving around the corridors of the European Parliament in violation of every rule or if other hidden lobbies are (and may still be) active with funding from other countries, especially the Emirates.
Among the coincidences that support the hypothesis is the role played by the other NGO involved in the investigation, No Peace Without Justice, founded by the Italian radical Emma Bonino.
The Secretary General of the NGO, Niccolò Vega Talamanca, was arrested at the same time as Panziri and the others. Two days ago, the Belgian court extended his detention in prison.
It is not known exactly what the man is accused of, his name does not appear in the newspapers against Panziri, and his NGO – unlike the previous Italian trade union – seems to be registered in the European Parliament’s transparency register.
But in Brussels circles, it was pointed out that last June, a stern report on the UAE’s manoeuvres to influence societal decisions, issued by the NGO Droit au Droit, was presented by Nicola Giovannini, who worked with Vega Talamanca on No Peace Without Justice.
The 150-page report analyzed the disinformation bells through the media and official and parallel reports with the parties, parliaments and think tanks established by the UAE lobby.
A few months later, the investigation launched by the Belgian intelligence on the Musaqeem of the Abu Dhabi services hit the non-governmental organization that submitted the report. More than just revenge, a way to distract? Another of Qatargate’s many mysteries.
