A corruption scandal leaves the EU reeling

“Who is the most recognisable member of the European Parliament?” sounds like the set-up of a joke, along the lines of “Who is the best-dressed Boris Johnson impersonator?” Still, it has a punchline now: Eva Kaili, who started the week—but did not end it—as a vice-president of the parliament (fret not, there are still 13 left). Ms Kaili, a Greek mEP, is now the poster girl for what is arguably the worst case of sleaze in the six-decade history of the EU institutions. On December 9th Belgian police arrested six people, four of whom, including Ms Kaili, were later charged with corruption and money laundering. Over €1.5m ($1.6m) in cash payments allegedly made by Qatar have been recovered by Belgian police, who have carried out 20 raids mostly connected to sitting or former MEPs and their staff. Both Ms Kaili, a former newsreader, and her Italian partner, an aide in the parliament, languish in a Brussels jail. They deny wrongdoing, as does Qatar, which calls the claims “unfounded”. Her father, arrested after being caught lugging a cash-filled suitcase from a hotel near the parliament, was released as a mere suspected accomplice.