European Parliament removes Eva Kaili as vice president

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The European Parliament terminated the term of Vice President Eva Kaili of Greece after she was arrested the day before in connection bribery scheme linked to Qatar.

The body voted 625-1 with two abstentions to remove her from office.

"The vote was taken according to Article 21 of the Parliament's rules of procedure, and it follows the ongoing investigations in Belgium involving some members and staff of the European Parliament," a statement from the Parliament said.

It said the procedure has been triggered by a decision of the Conference of Presidents earlier on Tuesday, which approved the action unanimously.

"The Conference of Presidents is shocked and deeply concerned about the recent revelations on corruption and criminal influence in the decision-making processes in the European Parliament," the body said in a separate statement.

"Everyone involved must be held accountable. Parliament will continue to fully support the work of the police and judiciary to ensure that justice is done. There will be no business as usual. The European Parliament will initiate an internal reform process to ensure that transparency and accountability are reinforced and become watertight."

Authorities in Belgium on Monday charged Kaili and three others as part of an investigation into bribery in an attempt to influence EU policies. Officials are calling the case one of the biggest corruption scandals to ever occur inside one of the main legislative bodies that govern the European Union.

Kaili is a member of the Greek Social Democratic Party in Greece. She was taken into custody along with former Italian parliamentary deputy Antonio Panzeri. The two others arrested have not been named publicly.