‘Several
people’ arrested in EU bribery investigation linked to Huawei
Homes
searched in inquiry into alleged corruption at European parliament relating to
Chinese technology giant
Jennifer
Rankin in Brussels
Thu 13 Mar
2025 18.20 CET
Several
people have been arrested and homes searched as part of an investigation into
alleged bribery and corruption at the European parliament relating to the
Chinese technology giant Huawei, Belgian prosecutors have said.
The
investigating judge in charge of the case has asked for seals to be fixed to
the offices of two European parliament assistants alleged to be involved.
“The alleged
bribery is said to have benefited Huawei,” Belgium’s federal prosecutor said in
a statement on Thursday afternoon, after an earlier statement that did not
mention the company.
The first
statement said that several individuals had been arrested for questioning over
their alleged involvement “in active corruption within the European
parliament”, as well as forgery and use of forgeries. The prosecutor said the
alleged offences were “committed by a criminal organisation” and had been
practised regularly and discreetly from 2021 to the present.
Since the
first Donald Trump administration, European countries have faced intense
pressure from the US not to use Huawei equipment in their 5G networks on
national security grounds.
A Huawei
spokesperson said the company took the allegations seriously and would urgently
communicate with the investigation to further understand the situation. “Huawei
has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption or other wrongdoing, and we are
committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times,”
they said.
People
involved in the alleged criminal “cash for influence” scheme are suspected to
have been paid for taking political positions or to have received “excessive
gifts” such as food, travel expenses and invitations to football matches. All
this was done for “promoting purely private commercial interests in the context
of political decisions”, the prosecutor said.
Investigators
are also examining whether money laundering took place, as they suspect
intermediaries may have received payments to disguise the trail.
The
allegations were first reported by the Belgian media and the investigative
outlet Follow the Money, which said that about 15 current and former MEPs were
“on the radar” of investigators.
The
authorities said “several people” had been arrested for questioning, including
one male suspect in France under a European arrest warrant, but declined to
give further details. More than 21 searches were carried out by more than 100
police officers across Belgium and in Portugal.
A European
parliament spokesperson said: “We have received a request for cooperation from
the Belgian authorities to assist the investigation, which the parliament will
swiftly and fully honour.”
Transparency
campaigners said the allegations were as serious as the Qatargate scandal that
shook the European parliament three years ago, when a Greek vice-president of
the parliament, Eva Kaili, and an Italian former MEP, Pier Antonio Panzeri,
were among suspects charged by police with corruption and money laundering over
activities said to benefit Qatar.
In January
2025, the Belgian former MEP Maria Arena said she had been charged with
participating in a criminal organisation as part of the same investigation.
All deny any
wrongdoing. The case has yet to come to trial.
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