Greece’s Authority against money laundering ordered on Thursday the freezing of a 0.7-acres plot of land owned by arrested MEP Eva Kaili and her husband Francesco Giorgi on the island of Paros.
In addition, authorities reportedly froze also a joint bank account held by Kaili and Giorgi, through which they bought the plot on Paros.
The property was frozen in the context of an inquiry into possible money laundering that is also taking place in Greece.
The head of the Authority, honorary deputy prosecutor of the Supreme Court, Charalambos Vourliotis is said to have found serious suspicions of money laundering in relation to the purchase of the plot, media report,
However, through her Greek lawyer Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, the MEP stated a few days ago, that the purchase of the property in Paros was completely legal and the money for it was justified by her salary and income.
The plot is located the borders of the settlement of Isterni, at a distance of about 600 meters from the sea, with a view towards the islands of Naxos.
A total of 280 square meters of the plot are buildable, while according to the architect with whom Kaili-Giorgi were in contact they were planning a vacation home with two floors and a swimming pool.
According to state broadcaster ERT, that also published the picture of the land-plot below, the was bought for 300,000 euros last March, a period during which Eva Kaili and Francesco Giorgi are being checked in Greece and Italy.
“At the given time, the minimum value of such a property with these specifications, i.e. a property at a distance of 600 meters from the sea, is 450,000-500,000 euros. The minimum value. The construction cost now in total is at least 400,000 euros,” the president of the Hellenic E-Real Estates Network, Themistoklis Bakas, to ERT.
Meanwhile, in Brussels Belgian judicial authorities are expected to issue their decision later on Thursday on whether Eva Kaili should remain in custody while the investigation into allegations of corruption involving Qatar continues.
Her lawyers said that Eva Kaili is innoncent. They requested she is released on an ankle bracelet. They argued that she is not suspicion to flee and that she is a mother of a 2-year-old child.
“With both parents in custody, the child is now ‘orphan’,” the Greek lawyer claimed appealing to sentiment.
Dimitrakopoulos who flew to Brussels and had a long talk with the former European Parliament vice president now in custody told Greek media on Wednesday evening that “she felt betrayed by her partner.”
