European Parliament conducts searches within investigation into Russian interference case – AP
Belgium police conducted searches at the residence and office of a European Parliament employee in the Parliament building in Brussels as part of an investigation into possible Russian interference.
Source: AP, citing the Federal Prosecutor's Office of Belgium, as reported by European Pravda.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office said searches were also conducted in the office of the suspect in Strasbourg, where the headquarters of the European Parliament is located.
The searches were carried out in partnership with Eurojust, the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, and French judicial authorities.
Quote: "The searches are part of a case of interference, passive corruption and membership of a criminal organization and relates to indications of Russian interference, whereby Members of the European Parliament were approached and paid to promote Russian propaganda via the Voice of Europe news website," the prosecutor's office stated.
Prosecutors alleged that they believe the suspected employee played a "significant role" in this.
Several Dutch media outlets reported that the suspect is MEP Marcel de Graaff from the far-right Forum for Democracy Dutch party. A person familiar with the investigation confirmed that these reports were accurate.
Calls to de Graaff's office in the European Parliament went unanswered.
Background:
- On 27 May, the Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on two individuals, including Viktor Medvedchuk, a former pro-Russian member of the Ukrainian parliament and close friend of Vladimir Putin, who is the godfather of Medvedchuk’s daughter; and one organisation spreading anti-civil society propaganda in the EU and adjacent countries.
- In particular, the EU Council has imposed restrictions on the resource Voice of Europe – an online media outlet, which, according to the Council, is involved in a systematic international campaign of media manipulation and fact distortion in order to destabilise Ukraine, the EU, and its member states.
- As is known, the Belgian prosecutor's office is investigating possible Russian interference in the upcoming European Parliament elections based on information provided by intelligence services.
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