Chinese tech giant Huawei and MEPs at the center of corruption scandal
The European Union’s center of power is reeling from a fresh corruption scandal involving Chinese technology giant Huawei and the European Parliament, Politico writes.
Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office said investigators are probing allegations of “active corruption within the European Parliament,” later adding that “the alleged bribery is said to have benefited Huawei.”
The case has echoes of the 2022 Qatargate corruption scandal, which saw several members of the legislature arrested and investigated. It breathes new life into longstanding concerns over shady lobbying practices in Brussels. The new investigation zones in on Huawei, the Chinese technology giant that was once a lobbying powerhouse in Europe, as well as on the Parliament. Incidents that are being investigated include “remuneration for taking political positions, excessive gifts like food and travel expenses and regular invitations to football matches … with a view to promoting purely private commercial interests in the context of political decisions,” Belgian prosecutors said in a statement.
They said the alleged misconduct took place “regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day.” Police raided 21 addresses in Brussels, Flanders, Wallonia and in Portugal and arrested several people. According to Follow The Money, Le Soir and Knack, investigators are looking into activities linked to 15 former and current MEPs. The publications said one senior lobbyist from Huawei in Brussels was a key suspect. Two people working in the building of Huawei’s main lobbying office for the European Union in Brussels told POLITICO they had seen police officers enter on Thursday morning and added they were still on the premises at noon. Police officers later left Huawei’s Brussels offices carrying four boxes with documents and various seized materials. The company on Thursday scrambled to respond to the development. A spokesperson said in a statement: “Huawei takes these allegations seriously and will 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.”
