The following month, he entered into a plea bargain, in which he admitted his guilt and revealed information about the alleged criminal network in return for a lighter sentence.

[1] From 1996 until 2003, Panzeri worked with the city authorities of Milan, Barcelona, and Frankfurt, in the context of an international project to compare experiences regarding economic development, immigration and welfare, and to devise a future European municipality model.

[citation needed] From 2003 to 2004, he was responsible for European policies; he devised and carried out a humanitarian mission to Belém, Brazil, and was a promoter and organiser of events to help the civilian victims of the Yugoslav wars.

[citation needed] Panzeri became a Member of the European Parliament in the 2004 elections when he represented the Democrats of the Left in the North-West constituency.

The investigation initially centred around the European Parliament's relations with Morocco, in particular those concerning fishing rights and the disputed territory of Western Sahara.

[10] Panzeri initially denied that he had been involved in corruption, saying that he had simply been paid for lobbying and had not declared the cash as Qatar wanted it kept quiet.

[13] Following the plea deal, the Belgian authorities withdrew their extradition request for Panzeri's wife and daughter, who had been arrested in Italy on suspicion of complicity in the affair.