Immunity of Greek ex-commissioner lifted amid Qatargate probe

On September 17, Greece's parliament voted to lift the immunity of former European Commission commissioner and New Democracy lawmaker Dimitris Avramopoulos. This followed Belgian authorities issuing an arrest warrant related to the Qatargate scandal. Avramopoulos had previously been called for questioning but failed to appear multiple times.

He formally requested that Greece's Supreme Court block the warrant while questioning its legality, but the court denied his request. In a letter to MPs dated September 17, Avramopoulos denied any connection to the alleged illegal acts and requested his immunity be lifted to allow the investigation to proceed. Upon lifting his immunity, Avramopoulos stated he would appear before Belgian authorities once a date was set, admitting he would have testified if summoned a year ago.

The Belgian arrest warrant accuses Avramopoulos of membership in a criminal organization, bribery of an official, money laundering, and a financial benefit of around €73,000. These allegations stem from his connection to Fight Impunity, a non-governmental organization linked to the Qatargate investigation. Avramopoulos was an honorary board member of the NGO and resigned after the scandal broke.

The Qatargate scandal erupted in December 2022 when Belgian police conducted raids on properties and offices, arresting key suspects and seizing cash, marking one of the largest corruption investigations in EU history. Other figures implicated in the scandal include former MEP Pier Antonio Panzeri, who was arrested in Belgium in 2022 and subsequently pleaded guilty to charges of corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organization, as well as former MEP Eva Kaili and her husband Francesco Giorgi.