Qatargate: Panzeri to cooperate with Belgian authorities

Belgium's federal prosecutor said on Tuesday that former Italian member of the European Parliament Pier Antonio Panzeri agreed to work with Belgian authorities over a cash-for-influence corruption scandal in exchange for a reduced sentence.

The prosecutor said in a statement Panzeri signed a "repentance agreement," where he commits to make "substantial, revealing, truthful and complete statements" about parties involved, and crimes committed, in the case.

In particular, he will inform investigators about how the operations were conducted, the financial arrangements with other involved countries, the financial structures that were set up, including their stakeholders and benefits, the involvement of known and unknown people within the investigation, including the identity of the individuals he admits to having bribed.

His sentence will include prison time, a...