Brussels, 24/06/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 23 June, the European Parliament decided to lift the immunity of Adrian Severin (independent, Romania), with the exception of restrictions to his personal liberty. In March of this year, the Romanian anti-corruption court sent the Parliament a request to this effect. The allegations against Severin include passive corruption and/or influence peddling, according to articles in the Sunday Times in March. On 21 March, the Romanian national anti-corruption department started proceedings against Adrian Severin, on the basis of allegations that between December 2010 and March 2011, Severin accepted an offer of payment of €100,000 from representatives of a fake consultancy firm, Taylor Jones Public Affairs (made up by the Sunday Times). Severin is alleged to have asked for an initial down payment of €12,000 for services rendered, in exchange for his support at the European Parliament, for a draft amendment to the directives on deposit guarantee schemes.
Readers may recall that three other members of the European Parliament were caught up in this scandal: Spain's Pablo Zalba Bidegain (EPP), the Austrian Ernst Strasser (EPP) and the Slovenian Zoran Thaler (S&D). All three decided themselves to step down from their position as MEP.
The matter is now in the hands of the Romanian justice symbol. The MEPs note that “it is not a matter for the European Parliament to take position on the guilt or otherwise of the MEP in question, any more than on whether or not he should be pursued over the actions he has been accused of”. (L.C./transl.fl)