Belgian authorities are investigating his possible involvement in the offences of participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and passive bribery, focusing on his participation in Fight Impunity, the NGO founded by former MEP Antonio Panzeri.
The request from the Belgian authorities is being forwarded to parliament today. For the arrest warrant to be executed, Avramopoulos’s parliamentary immunity must first be lifted.
Once the case file is received, parliamentary procedures are expected to begin, with the Ethics Committee examining the request before the plenary is called to decide through a roll-call vote.
At the centre of the case is the former European commissioner’s participation in Fight Impunity. Avramopoulos sat on the organisation’s advisory body from February 2021 to February 2022, receiving total remuneration of €76,150 gross.
The same advisory body also included figures from the European political scene, such as former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and former French prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
Belgian authorities are investigating three main offences: participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering and passive bribery. European sources say the investigation is mainly focused on the fees paid through the NGO and their origin.
Avramopoulos denies any involvement in the case and says he does not intend to invoke his parliamentary immunity. Instead, he says he will request a full investigation by the Greek judiciary, using the framework of judicial cooperation between Greece and Belgium.
His statement in full:
‘I have received information from journalists that a document has allegedly been sent from the Belgian authorities to the Greek authorities, in which an attempt is made, without any basis, to link my name to the Fight Impunity case. This case never concerned me. The issue that was attempted to be linked to my name has been closed for three years, with full institutional transparency and with the seal of the European Commission, following a decision signed by its president, Ursula von der Leyen.
‘My participation in the Fight Impunity organisation, together with important international figures, was completely legal, audited, approved, declared and taxed. There was no involvement of mine, direct or indirect, in anything reprehensible. Any attempt by the Belgian authorities to bring up the issue and implicate my name in any matter concerning Fight Impunity, whether through unfounded reports or through distortion of facts, is arbitrary, unacceptable, suspicious and will be dealt with by all legal means.
‘Although this is a completely unfounded issue, I state directly that I will not make use of any parliamentary immunity. On the contrary, I will personally appeal to the Greek judiciary, requesting that the matter be fully investigated and a decision made.’
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