Qatargate: A Scandal That Seems More and More Like It Is Fizzling Out
Three years after the shockwave of “Qatargate” in Brussels, the affair that was supposed to embody Europe’s fight against corruption now appears profoundly weakened. Revelations recently published by the Italian outlet Il Dubbio, based on material originating from the Belgian prosecutor’s office, have shaken the initial narrative. They reveal practices that look less like a judicial investigation and more like a staged performance designed to saturate public opinion. What is really going on?
According to these documents, an informal cell known as “Squadra Medusa”—made up of police officers, magistrates and journalists—allegedly coordinated not only the circulation of information but also the media tempo of the scandal. A mechanism that casts an unflattering light on how the affair was amplified from the very first hours.
The facts presented are disturbing. On the eve of the December 2022 raids, journalists reportedly sent their articles to the commissioner in charge of the investigation for review and corrections. A discussion group, recovered in the case file, served as a direct communication channel between police and press. The publication schedule was allegedly dictated by the lead investigator—now charged himself—in order to maximize impact at the moment of the arrests. As for the photographs of piles of cash, which became iconic, they were reportedly supplied in priority to select media outlets to feed a sensational narrative, in clear disregard for the secrecy of the investigation. They have since circulated around the world.
These are not mere procedural mishaps. They strike at the core principles of the rule of law: judicial independence, the presumption of innocence, and equality of arms in legal proceedings. The central investigator, now prosecuted for breach of professional secrecy and unlawful access to police databases, stands at the center of a controversy that further undermines the credibility of the case. Let us recall that Belgian examining magistrate Michel Claise, initially in charge of the file, withdrew from the case after revelations of unusually close ties between his son and the son of one of the suspects, former MEP Marie Arena—whose questioning had itself been strangely delayed for months.
A simple question now arises: on what does the Qatargate case still rest? Qatar, which has consistently denounced the investigation as biased and politically manipulated, now sees its arguments reinforced by the publication of these new elements. The case appears tainted by the way it was assembled, relayed and sometimes amplified—so much so that it may have eclipsed any possibility of a fair judicial process.
More surprising still, the affair seems to have evaporated. No one knows the current state of the proceedings, the likelihood of a trial, or even the solidity of the evidence that was initially presented as damning. This silence stands in stark contrast with the initial media frenzy, which made Qatargate a symbol of alleged foreign interference within the European Union. It also raises troubling questions about who may have had an interest in driving the scandal.
Instead of uncovering a vast corruption operation, the scandal now exposes internal vulnerabilities within European institutions and the excesses of a justice system that at times appeared indistinguishable from the press. The affair was meant to reveal a system; instead, it may well expose the flaws in our own democratic functioning.
With no clarity today on whether a trial will ever take place, Qatargate increasingly resembles a scandal that is fizzling out for lack of solid foundations. A case that may never have been what it was made out to be—and whose many shadowy areas now urgently deserve to be fully brought to light.
