Ex-vice president of European Parliament released from prison

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Former vice president of the European Parliament was released from prison, local media reported on Wednesday.

Eva Kaili, however, was released with an electronic bracelet for surveillance, according to public broadcaster ERT.

She is leaving prison with her head held high and with dignity, her lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos said, adding that Kaili didn’t confess to crimes she did not commit, and will fight for her innocence until the end.

The EU has been shaken by one of the biggest corruption scandals in its history after Kaili, a Greek MEP, was arrested on Dec. 9 by Belgian police on corruption charges.

Kaili, 44, from Greece's center-left PASOK-KINAL party and one of the European Parliament's 14 vice presidents, was arrested after her home was searched on corruption charges allegedly involving Qatar, which was accused of paying Kaili to lobby for the Gulf state's interests.

Also, up to €1.5 million ($1.62 million) in cash was seized by the Belgian police across dozens of home and office searches. In addition, parliamentary computers were also confiscated to protect important data.

Those detained alongside Kaili also included Italian European Parliament Deputy Pier Antonio Panzeri, Kaili's partner Francesco Giorgi, who worked as an assistant in the European Parliament, and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, the director of the non-governmental organization working on rule of law.