Belgium issues EU arrest warrant for ex-Commissioner Avramopoulos in Qatargate probe

BRUSSELS/ATHENS, June 23 (Reuters) - ‌A Belgian investigating ​judge ​has issued a European arrest warrant against former Greek European Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos, a ‌Greek government official said late on Monday, confirming ⁠reports in Belgian and Greek media.

• The warrant is linked to ‌a corruption scandal that ‌emerged in 2022.

• Several EU officials are alleged to have accepted bribes from Qatar to influence European Union ​policymaking.

• Known as "Qatargate", the case is one of the biggest scandals to hit the 27-nation bloc.

• ⁠Investigators carried out raids in which they seized €1.5 million ($1.6 million) in cash, some ​stuffed into a large suitcase found in a Brussels hotel.

• In a statement on Monday, ​Avramopoulos denied any wrongdoing.

• "There was ‌no direct or indirect involvement of mine in anything reprehensible," he said.

• He said ⁠he would not make use of any parliamentary immunity.

• "On the contrary, I will appeal to the Greek judiciary myself, requesting ⁠that the matter be fully investigated and a decision be ​made."

• Avramopoulos sits in the Greek Parliament for the ruling conservative New Democracy party.

• He served as the European Commissioner for ‌Migration until 2019 and later joined Fight Impunity, an NGO linked to Qatargate.

• Fight ‌Impunity could not be reached for comment.

• The Belgian ⁠prosecutor's office declined to ‌comment.

• Qatar has always ​denied any wrongdoing.

(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Renee Maltezou and Yannis Souliotis, Editing by Barbara ‌Lewis)

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