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.
European Commissioner for Migration and Home Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos attends a news conference in Helsinki, Finland, July 18, 2019. Lehtikuva/Emmi Korhonen via 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.
ight 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
Thirteen people were killed and dozens injured after an explosion at Qatar's massive Ras Laffan liquefied natural (LNG) gas complex which occurred as workers were restarting operations halted after an Iranian attack in March.
Four liquefied natural gas tankers controlled by Qatar were heading into the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, despite a fall in ship traffic after Iran announced that it had again closed the waterway over the weekend, shipping data showed.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened to restart war with Iran even as Vice President JD Vance met Iranian officials for the first talks under an interim peace deal, overshadowed by Tehran's announcement it had again closed the Strait of Hormuz.
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