ROME (Reuters) – The tax consultant of a former EU lawmaker at the centre of a cash-for-influence corruption scandal at the European Parliament has been arrested in Italy, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters on Wednesday.
Monica Rossana Bellini, who worked for former centre-left parliamentarian Antonio Panzeri, was apprehended by Italian police acting on a request from Belgian authorities through a European arrest warrant.
She faces charges of criminal association, corruption and money laundering. It was not immediately possible to reach her lawyer for comment.
Panzeri, who was arrested in Brussels in December and charged with three others including Greek EU lawmaker Eva Kaili, has agreed to cooperate with investigations in exchange for a reduced sentence, a Belgian prosecutor said on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Emilio Parodi, writing by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Keith Weir)
