The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) confirmed Monday, February 27th, that Italian police seized €170,000 from Italy’s Lega MEP Stefania Zambelli and four of her assistants as part of an anti-fraud investigation into the misuse of parliamentary funds.
The seizures were conducted Thursday, February 23rd, by the prosecutor’s office, in conjunction with Italian Financial Police in Milan. A spokesperson for the EPPO denied any links between the raids and the Qatargate scandal.
Zambelli and her aides are accused of falsely documenting expenses around the remuneration of parliamentary assistants and lying about their educational qualifications. Zambelli is alleged to have financially benefited from the fraud and is related to one of the four assistants. Politico reports that luxury cars were among the items seized by police.
The EPPO says that the seizures were made following a period of evidence gathering. No charges have been filed yet against Zambelli or her staff, with Italian law allowing for seizure without removing Zambelli’s parliamentary immunity.
A former deputy mayor for the Lombardy town of Salò, Zambelli was elected to the EU Parliament in 2019 originally for Lega Nord. She sits on parliamentary committees evaluating the EU’s COVID response and is a member of the bloc’s delegation to Bosnia and Kosovo.
This is not the first time parliamentarians have been accused of fiddling with expenses for their staff. A 2021 news report singles out Rassemblement National as having created a series of non-existent jobs to funnel money to activists. Party leader Marine Le Pen denied the accusations, describing them as politically motivated.
There is an increased spotlight on corruption within the European Parliament due to the Qatargate scandal and the high-profile arrests of senior MEPs for bribery, like that of vice president of Parliament, Eva Kali. In January, plans were presented by European Parliament President Roberta Metsola for reforms to clamp down on corruption within EU institutions.
Zambelli and her office did not respond to media requests for comment.
