2011 cash for influence scandal

the corruption scandal in the European Parliament Cash for influence In 2011, the European Commission’s Anti-fraud Office (OLAF) opened a formal investigation for corruption against four Members of European Parliament (MEPs)—Romanian Adrian Severin, Austrian Ernst Strasser, Spaniard Pablo Zalba Bidegain (who was cleared of wrongdoing as he had not accepted payment),Public Service Europe: Fighting fraud in Europe - through OLAF http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/556/fighting-fraud-in-europe-through-olaf 2013-04-05 2012-06-19 https://web.archive.org/web/20120619095318/http://www.publicserviceeurope.com/article/556/fighting-fraud-in-europe-through-olaf dead and Slovenian Zoran Thaler—after an article in The Sunday Times claimed that they had tried to influence EU legislation in exchange for money.Journalistic spoof traps MEPs in bribery affair http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/journalistic-spoof-traps-meps-br-news-503281 EurActiv 21 March 2011 The Sunday Times journalists went undercover and approached 60 MEPs, posing as lobbyists and requesting votes to table or support certain amendments in exchange for money. Indictments StrasserStrasser tritt nach neuen Enthüllungen zurück, ORF, 2011-03-20. and ThalerZoran Thaler odstopil, v Bruslju ga bo nadomestila Kleva http://www.rtvslo.si/slovenija/zoran-thaler-odstopil-v-bruslju-ga-bo-nadomestila-kleva/253561 RTV SLO resigned in March 2011; Strasser was sentenced to four years in jail on 14 January 2013.Reuters: Strasser jailed for bribery in European parliament sting http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-europe-corruption-strasser-idUKBRE90D0TR20130114 https://web.archive.org/web/20160306162223/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-europe-corruption-strasser-idUKBRE90D0TR20130114 dead March 6, 2016 14 January 2013 OLAF dismissed the case against Thaler, claiming that it had been unable to find "evidence to support suspicion of wrongdoing" (though it did blame the European Parliament for "refus[ing] to provide the necessary support during the investigation").Thaler v Bruslju oproscen obtozb | Delo. Delo.si (2012-02-04). However, in January 2014 Slovenia's own judicial system found Thaler guilty and sentenced him to two and a half years in prison.Ex-MEP to serve prison in 'cash-for-laws' scandal http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/ex-mep-serve-prison-cash-laws-sc-news-533205 EurActiv 3 February 2014 Claiming innocence, Adrian Severin has refused to step down and continues to work as an MEP, even after he was expelled by the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group of the European Parliament.Romanian MEP expelled over bribery scandal http://www.euractiv.com/future-eu/romanian-mep-expelled-bribery-sc-news-503406 EurActiv 23 March 2011 He was indicted by Romania's anti-corruption agency in September 2013 and in February 2016, he was convicted to three and half years in prison in court, although the judgement was appealed.Former Romanian MEP Adrian Severin sentenced to jail for corruption http://www.romania-insider.com/former-romanian-mep-adrian-severin-sentenced-to-jail-for-corruption/165654/ Romania Insider 10 March 2014 24 February 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160225085903/http://www.romania-insider.com/former-romanian-mep-adrian-severin-sentenced-to-jail-for-corruption/165654/ 25 February 2016 dead On 16 November 2016, a final sentence was handed down and his sentence was increased to 4 years imprisonment.http://www.agerpres.ro/justitie/2016/11/16/alerta-adrian-severin-condamnat-definitiv-la-4-ani-inchisoare-cu-executare-16-35-35 Adrian Severin, condamnat definitiv la 4 ani închisoare cu executare Agerpres 16 November 2016 Romanian 16 November 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161116230745/http://www.agerpres.ro/justitie/2016/11/16/alerta-adrian-severin-condamnat-definitiv-la-4-ani-inchisoare-cu-executare-16-35-35 16 November 2016 dead dmy-all He still has the support of the Social Democratic Party, his political party in Romania. See also Cash for access Cash for influence Influence peddling References Category:Political scandals in Austria Category:Corruption in Romania Category:Lobbying in the European Union