PS-Europarlementslid Arena blijkt sleutelfiguur in Qatargate
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Vlaams Belang reageert verontwaardigd op de onthulling dat Marie Arena, Europarlementslid voor PS, één van de sleutelfiguren blijkt te zijn in het Qatargate-schandaal. In deze zaak betaalden Qatar en Marokko Europarlementariërs grote sommen geld, om hun besluitvorming te beïnvloeden in een voor deze landen gunstige richting. “Betrokkenen noemen Arena zelfs het verlengstuk van spilfiguur Panzeri”, zegt Kamerlid Annick Ponthier. “Dit schandaal bewijst andermaal hoezeer corruptie in het DNA van de socialisten zit ingebakken.”
Al een aantal maanden buigt het federaal parket zich over de grootschalige corruptiezaak in het Europees Parlement rond Qatar en Marokko. Die laatsten probeerden via voormalig Italiaans Europarlementslid Pier Antonio Panzeri en diens vzw invloed uit te oefenen op beslissingen en resoluties van het parlement. Dit deden ze door grof geld uit te betalen aan hem en aan verschillende Europarlementsleden. “Ondanks haar eerdere ontkenningen, blijkt PS-Europarlementslid Arena dus ook een sleutelfiguur in de zaak”, aldus Ponthier. “Panzeri stuurde haar rechtstreeks aan en organiseerde meetings met de Qatarezen, waarbij Arena een rolex, halsketting en tickets voor het WK voetbal ontving in ruil voor politieke tegenprestaties in het Europees Parlement.”
“Het is nog erger dan gedacht”
Het Vlaams Belang vindt het ook erg frapperend dat het nu niet meer om één enkel PS-parlementslid gaat, maar dat twee PS’ers op hoog niveau betrokken zijn in de zaak. “De Franstalige socialisten zitten met een majeur probleem nu twee van hun politici bij zo’n grootschalige corruptie betrokken zijn”, stelt Ponthier nog. “Met dit trackrecord aan fraudeschandalen wordt het hoog tijd dat de geliefkoosde federale partner van N-VA-voorzitter Bart De Wever, PS-voorzitter Paul Magnette, zijn stal eens uitmest.”
Tot slot wijst Vlaams Belang ook op de betekenis van Qatargate voor de Europese politiek. “De burger had al een gebrek aan vertrouwen in wat ivoren toren-politici allemaal over zijn hoofd in EU-cenakels beslissen”, concludeert Ponthier. “Deze onverkwikkelijke affaire bewijst alleen maar dat het nog erger is dan gedacht. Wij roepen de EU, de Vivaldi-regering en het parket alvast op om elke steen om te draaien en alle betrokkenen voor hun verantwoordelijkheid te plaatsen.”