The European Parliament has commenced an investigation in relation to the claims about Latvian MEP Tatyana Zhdanok allegedly having ties to Russian intelligence agency.
Answering the question from Deutsche Welle (DW), EP President Roberta Metsola said she takes the accusations against Zhdanok “very seriously”. She has submitted the case to the Code of Conduct Advisory Committee, as confirmed by Metsola’s official spokesman Jüri Laas on Monday.
This means an investigation in the European Parliament in underway, he explained.
Metsola will also direct this issue for discussion at the conference of committee chairs on the 31st of January. The Conference of Presidents is the EP’s political body responsible for relations with the other EU institutions and national parliaments. The Conference of Presidents is composed of the President of the EP and the leaders of the various factions represented therein.
The EP press service told DW they will not comment on accusations presented to any MEP.
The press service did say, however, that the accusations were voiced in a country Zhdanok represents – Latvia. “We stress that all MEPs are subject to the same rules on mandate independence and ethics,” the press bureau adds. “Like all parliamentarians, MEPs have a duty before their voters”.
For violations of the code of conduct, the EP President may impose sanctions, which are announced at a plenary session. At the same time, the decision to remove an MEP from office is made by the competent authorities of his or her country.
According to the investigation performed by Russian independent investigative journalism organisation The Insider together with Estonian, Latvian and Swedish journalists, Latvian MEP Tatyana Zhdanok was in active contact with Russian citizens who are possible officers of the Russian FSB. She also reported to them on her various activities. The entire investigation revolves around Zhdanok’s hacked e-mail correspondence.
Also read: “The KGB Bag made no mention of my name”, Zhdanok comment article on her cooperation with Russian FSB
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