Updated

Controversy has broken out in the European Parliament over the alleged misuse of European Union aid money for the survivors of a devastating 2009 earthquake in Italy.

Soren Bo Sondergaard, a Danish member of the parliament, said Thursday he visited a new development of 60 houses in the L'Aquila area where the quake struck. The homes are empty because they've been deemed unfit to live in, he said, adding that the funds to build them either went to criminals or "unbelievably stupid people."

An Italian member of the parliament attempted Thursday to rebut Sondergaard's written findings point by point. The European Commission is also disputing the Danish lawmaker's allegations, with a spokeswoman saying that EU aid is "monitored carefully."