Prosecutors in Brussels have issued an arrest warrant for Greek lawmaker and former European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, it was revealed on Monday, as part of the ongoing Qatargate corruption investigation.
According to Greek media reports. the case remains at an early procedural stage but carries significant political implications.
The same reports states that Greek judicial authorities have been informed of the warrant. It has not been executed, however, as Avramopoulos currently serves as a member of Greece’s 300-deputy parliament and his parliamentary immunity must first be lifted by a majority of lawmakers in the legislature.
Under the relevant procedure, the case file submitted by Belgian authorities is expected to be forwarded by the Athens Court of Appeals prosecutor’s office to the Supreme Court chief prosecutor and subsequently conveyed to Parliament through the justice ministry for consideration.
Judicial sources said Avramopoulos visited the Athens Court of Appeals prosecutor’s office on Monday, although no further details were disclosed.
When the Qatargate investigation first emerged, Avramopoulos maintained that all of his actions had been lawful.
Avramopoulos, 73, is one of Greece’s best-known political figures. A former career diplomat, he served as mayor of Athens from 1995 to 2002 before holding several senior cabinet positions, including foreign minister, defense minister, health minister and tourism minister. From 2014 to 2019, he served as European commissioner for migration, home affairs and citizenship during the height of Europe’s migration crisis. He currently sits in the Greek parliament as a member of the ruling center-right New Democracy party.
The Qatargate scandal erupted in late 2022 after Belgian investigators alleged that foreign states sought to influence decision-making within the European Parliament through cash payments and gifts. The investigation has led to a series of arrests, searches and corruption-related allegations involving current and former European officials, while several individuals implicated in the affair have denied wrongdoing.
