Metsola previously tweeted that Parliament was "firmly opposed to corruption" and would do everything possible to "do justice".
A total of five people were arrested in Brussels on Friday on suspicion of "gang corruption and money laundering". They included Kaili, one of the 14 Vice-Presidents of Parliament, and her partner, who also works in the European Parliament.
Kaili's Greek socialist Pasok party had already declared on Friday evening that the politician had been "excluded from the party". Then, on Saturday, the Socialist Group in the European Parliament announced that Kaili's membership had been suspended.
EU Vice President Katarina Barley (SPD), who called for her colleague Kaili to resign after the allegations of corruption became known, welcomed the quick reaction of Kaili's Pasok party. The Social Democratic group in the EU Parliament "reacted immediately", she praised. "We do not tolerate corruption. Corruption is poison for democracy," said the SPD politician in the ARD "Tagesthemen" on Saturday. Barley and Kaili both belong to the Socialist Group in the European Parliament.
The Greens group in the European Parliament called for a comprehensive investigation into the allegations of corruption. "We will not accept that things go on like this," the parliamentary group said. "We have to tighten our rules so that something like this can't happen again." Transparency International Director Michiel van Hulten also criticized a "culture of impunity" in Parliament and lax financial rules and controls, saying it was "time for fundamental reform" in the European Parliament.
According to information from the Belgian newspaper "L'Echo", the investigators had found "several sacks full of banknotes" in Kaili's apartment. The police ordered the premises to be searched after finding Kaili's father with a large amount of cash in "a suitcase".
According to the Belgian federal prosecutor's office, the police confiscated cash amounting to around 600,000 euros as well as data carriers and mobile phones during the raids, which are now being evaluated. According to a spokesman for the investigative authority in Brussels, the five suspects were further questioned on Saturday.
The public prosecutor's office said that the country involved in the corruption case was a "Gulf State". He is suspected of "influencing the economic and political decisions of the European Parliament" by "paying considerable sums of money or giving substantial gifts".
Circles familiar with the investigation confirmed media reports from the AFP news agency that the Gulf state was Qatar. A Qatari government official told AFP that his country was "not aware of any details about an investigation". Any "allegation of wrongdoing by the State of Qatar" is unfounded.
Former TV presenter Kaili said in the European Parliament on November 22 that the soccer World Cup in Qatar was "concrete proof of how sports diplomacy can lead to a historic transformation of a country whose reforms have inspired the Arab world". Qatar is "a leader in labor rights". Shortly before the speech, Kaili met with Qatari Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri in Qatar.
