Belgian authorities have issued a European Arrest Warrant for Dimitris Avramopoulos, a former European commissioner and current Greek New Democracy lawmaker, in connection with the Qatargate corruption investigation.
The case centers on Avramopoulos’ involvement with a nongovernmental organization founded by Antonio Panzeri – a former MEP and central figure in the Qatargate scandal – through which he allegedly received monthly payments of €5,000.
Belgian authorities are accusing the former commissioner of participating in a criminal organization, with the alleged financial benefit totaling approximately €73,000.
Avramopoulos denied the charges in a statement, calling them “completely unfounded,” while adding that he would seek the lifting of his parliamentary immunity and asking that the Greek Justice Ministry fully investigate the matter.
A complicating factor, according to sources in Brussels, is that Avramopoulos had been summoned to testify before Belgian authorities approximately one year ago on the same matter but did not appear – a development those sources say directly triggered the issuance of the warrant.
