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The European Union’s top prosecutors are ramping up their investigation into fraud and corruption related to Manfred Weber’s 2019 European Parliamentary election campaign. Weber is one of the most powerful politicians in Brussels and heads up the most powerful group, the Euroepan People’s Party (EPP). He also happens to be one of the biggest foes of Viktor Orbán, serving as a key figure in forcing out Orbán’s Fidesz party from the group in 2021.
The investigation is looking into the misuse of EU funds for the 2019 campaign, with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the Belgian authorities focusing their investigation on three people connected to Weber’s campaign.
Politico had previously gained access to police summons for witnesses regarding various crimes including “breach of trust,” “forgery of a public document” and “forgery of public documents by a civil servant in the performance of duties.” Allegations of fraud and “public corruption” were also noted.
According to the Spanish La Gaceta, the Belgian authorities are investigating Ouarda Bensouag, Manfred Weber’s former French chief of staff, who is set to assume the position of secretary-general of the party family starting today, the highest level of power at the European level. The paper confirmed she is being investigated, with the Belgian prosecutor’s office alleging that Bensouag received a salary from both the EPP and the European Parliament at the same time, which is against the EP’s code of conduct.
“In order to receive an additional salary to what you already receive from Parliament you must notify it and it can only be authorized if the activity is different from what is already being carried out and does not involve interference that could harm the interests of the institution,” the paper noted.
Money for parliament groups, which comes from EU taxpayers, is prohibited from being spent on political campaigns.
Speaking to Brussels Signal, EPP press director Lopez de Pablo insists they are cooperating with authorities and that “the issue was being ‘reheated’ to undermine Weber.”
He also noted that an “ongoing investigation” started back in 2019 “was limited to the party alone and not the European Parliament group.”