A member of the European Parliament who has been identified as a key suspect in a probable money laundering and corruption scandal that has shaken the European Union has denied accepting funds from a Gulf State.

Vice-president Eva Kaili, a Greek MEP and one of four people arrested and charged in Belgium over the weekend, refuted charges that Qatar lavished her with cash and gifts to influence decision-making through a lawyer's statement.

Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, the attorney representing Kaili in Greece, stated on Open TV, "Her view is that she is innocent."

"She has nothing to do with Qatari financing, nothing at all - categorically and unambiguously. "This is her position," stated Dimitrakopoulos.

He noted that Kaili has never engaged in any commercial activity.

Greece froze Ms. Kaili's assets on Monday, and the European Parliament suspended her from her position as one of the 14 vice presidents of the governing body.

On Tuesday, the political group leaders of the European Parliament voted unanimously to deprive Ms. Kaili of her vice presidential responsibilities.

Roberta Metsola, the president of parliament, informed the chamber on Tuesday that the complete house will vote later today, and she will resign if a two-thirds majority votes to end her tenure.

Qatar, the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, has emphatically denied any wrongdoing allegations.

A Doha official stated over the weekend, "Any linkage of the Qatari government with the claimed claims is unfounded and gravely misinformed."

Ms. Kaili's denial came as Belgian investigators swooped on the European Parliament in Brussels to investigate offices and Roberta Metsola, the president of the European Parliament, warned MEPs that "democracy is under threat."

This was the twentieth search conducted since Friday.

As part of an investigation into allegations that Doha intended to buy influence, Belgian police have seized €600,000 (£516,000) in cash. Police conducted sixteen search warrants. There were accusations that enormous sums of money were discovered in a bag and an apartment in a Brussels hotel room.

The houses of two members of the European Parliament were also searched.

It is believed that at least three of those held by officials, excluding Ms. Kaili, were either Italian nationals or had Italian ancestry.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, described the allegations of corruption as "very serious" and urged for the establishment of a new ethics authority to regulate the EU parliament.

Ms. Metsola pledged to restore the integrity of the parliament. She stated, "European democracy and our free and democratic society are under siege."

Annalena Baerbock, the German foreign minister, described the claims as "an unbelievable situation that must be cleared up entirely with the full weight of the law."

"This pertains to Europe's credibility," she continued.