Former EU commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, who recently came into the spotlight as he was a member of Qatargate-related NGO Fighting Impunity, complied with the European Commission’s restrictions placed on the authorisation of his participation and did not contact any Commission officials, EURACTIV has learnt.
Avramopoulos was an honorary member of the NGO Fighting Impunity, led by Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged mastermind behind Qatargate. When the scandal erupted, Avramopoulos resigned from the NGO.
His participation was authorised by the Commission on 3 February 2021, following the opinion of the independent ethics committee in December 2020.
Avramopoulos alleges Italian conspiracy behind Qatargate attacks
Avramopoulos was a member of the advisory board for the NGO “Fight Impunity”, owned by Antonio Panzeri who is now arrested for his involvement in the Qatar scandal.
Italian media reported last December that Avramopoulos was paid €60,000 for one year (€5,000 per month) to promote the NGO’s positions at two conferences. The “salary” triggered strong reactions about his role in the NGO.
The European Commission then launched an internal procedure to verify that he complied with the restrictions placed on the authorisation, including that he was not to contact the Commission staff on behalf of the NGO.
A source close to the matter told EURACTIV that following an internal process, the Commission found that Avramopoulos complied with the restrictions.
Although this is a relief for the former EU commissioner, Panzeri’s new testimony as part of his deal with the Belgian justice authorities to shed light on the scandal in exchange for a softer sentence is still pending.
“No one knows what other names involved in the scandal Panzeri will cite”, another source told EURACTIV.
Avramopoulos has said that although he was a member of the NGO, he was unaware of Panzeri’s illegal activities.
Last week, lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos – who represents jailed MEP Eva Kaili – was asked if he alleged that Panzeri would give more “Greek names”.
“I do not rule out anything”, Dimitrakopoulos said, adding that Panzeri is unreliable as he only cares about getting his family out of the Qatargate picture.
Qatargate: Lawyer alleges Panzeri will name MEPs from Germany, France
Pier Antonio Panzeri, the alleged mastermind of the Qatargate scandal, is expected to give the Belgian justice new names of EU lawmakers from Germany, France and Italy, the lawyer of jailed Greek MEP Eva Kaili said on Monday.
“Messages and news …
(Sarantis Michalopoulos | EURACTIV.com)
Source: euractiv.com
