A Belgian arrest warrant for Dimitris Avramopoulos, a former European commissioner and current Greek New Democracy lawmaker, concerns membership in a criminal organization, bribery of an official, and money laundering, Kathimerini understands.
The warrant is includes in a case file forwarded by Greece’s Deputy Justice Minister Ioannis Bougas to Parliament, which will need to decide whether to lift Avramopoulos’ immunity before taking further action.
The investigation focuses on Avramopoulos’ cooperation with Fight Impunity, a non-governmental organization founded by Italian politician and former MEP Antonio Panzeri, a central figure in the Qatargate case. Panzeri, who served in the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019, was arrested in December 2022 and charged with corruption, money laundering, and leading a criminal organization in connection with the scandal.
Belgian authorities are accusing the former commissioner of participating in a criminal organization, with the alleged financial benefit totaling approximately €73,000.
Avramopoulos has vehemently 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.
