Lawyer for corruption-accused Greek MEP says she's 'innocent'

The lawyer for a detained Greek member of the European Parliament on Tuesday said his client was "innocent" after she was charged with corruption in a probe into suspected bribes from World Cup host Qatar.

Belgium has charged four suspects including one of the vice presidents of the parliament, Greek socialist Eva Kaili, as part of an investigation into suspicions the Gulf nation has been handing out cash and gifts to influence EU policy debate, allegations Doha denies.

Two others were released after questioning.

"Her position is she is innocent. She has nothing to do with Qatar's bribes," Kaili's lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos told private Greek television channel Open TV.

Searches were carried out at the homes of MEPs and their associates in Belgium and around a million euros in cash has been recovered after the accusations that Qatar has been seeking to burnish its image.

Belgian prosecutors said 600,000 euros ($630,000) were found at the home of one suspect, 150,000 euros at the flat of an MEP and several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a hotel room.

Asked if any cash was found at Kaili's home, Dimitrakopoulos said: "I am not confirming or denying. There is confidentiality. I have no idea if money was found or how much was found."

Kaili was detained in Brussels on Friday.

She has been stripped of her vice-presidential responsibilities and parliamentary group leaders are to meet on Tuesday to prepare a vote to formally remove her from the post.

She is remanded in custody and will face a hearing on Wednesday to see if she and three fellow accused will need to remain in detention pending a corruption trial.

The scandal has erupted during the 2022 football World Cup, an event Qatar had hoped would boost its reputation but which has been dogged by allegations of mistreatment of the migrant workers who built the host's new stadiums.

Kaili visited Qatar just ahead of the World Cup and praised the country as a "frontrunner in labour rights", a sentiment she has repeated on the floor of the parliament.

She received a new legal blow on Monday, when Greek authorities froze the former television presenter and her relatives' assets.

The Gulf monarchy denies any involvement.

"Any claims of misconduct by the state of Qatar are gravely misinformed," a Qatar official told AFP.

The parliament's president, Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola, on Monday said the EU parliament was "under attack".

"European democracy is under attack and our free and democratic societies are under attack."