Qatar Gate: How the Pancheri ring operated – They received 50,000 euros every time they blocked a resolution against Morocco

The Belgian newspaper De Standaard describes the way in which “the Panzeri circuit” operated and moved, and the Italian former MEP himself in favor of Morocco, except for Qatar. As it states for each “for every resolution against Morocco that could be blocked in the European Parliament, the group around Pancheri and Giorgi would receive the sum of 50,000 euros.”

“Two Dutch Rif activists sit in the foyer of the European Parliament in Brussels, June 5, 2018. For weeks they have been fighting for the Sakharov Prize, the European prize for human rights defenders. They want to nominate Nasser Zefzafi, the Moroccan protester who stood up for Rif and who must pay for it with twenty years in prison. Now they can present their candidate to the MEP Pier Antonio Pancheri, the president of the human rights committee. “We heard you had to be with him to get attention for a nomination“, said Jamal Ayau, a spokesman for the Rif activists,” the Standaard article begins.

“An assistant of Pantzeri comes to pick up the men: Francesco Giorgi (companion of the now imprisoned Greek woman, then vice-president of the European Parliament, Eva Kaili). He wants a preliminary interview before the appointment. In an intervening space, before they even say a word, Georgie asks, according to the men: “Is there any idea of ​​withdrawing the nomination? This may be better for your situation.”

At the same time, it is noted that after leaving the European Parliament in 2019, Pancheri remains active behind the scenes. He founded the Brussels NGO Fight Impunity to lobby for human rights. In fact, the NGO serves as a front for kickbacks from Morocco and Qatarit is pointed out in the article.

“He had a whole clique behind him,” says Kati Piri, at the time a member of the Social Democrats’ European group. “Pantseri was gone, but his former associates were still in parliament.” Among them is Giorgi, who will work for the Italian MP Andrea Coccolino and begins a relationship with the Greek MP Eva Kaili, the newspaper notes and adds that Kaili was arrested since then, federal prosecutors have also requested the lifting of Coccolino’s immunity.

Finally, De Standaard reports that “during a search of Panzeri’s house in Brussels, the police found 600,000 euros in cash. Assistant Georgie and his partner Kylie hid a total of €900,000 in banknotes. The trio has been in jail since early December. Their lawyers declined to comment while the investigation is ongoing.”