The Belgian public prosecutor has charged eight suspects in the EU Parliament for a suspected bribes. Huawei lobbyists are said to have bribed parliamentarians to obtain 5G licenses.
Because of a suspected bribery affair in the EU Parliament around the Chinese technology group Huawei, the Belgian public prosecutor has charged charges against eight suspects. Among other things, you will be accused of bribery, money laundering and participation in a criminal association, as the investigative authority announced.
According to a spokeswoman for the public prosecutor, there are also three suspects among the eight defendants who had been arrested abroad. In March, dozens of police officers searched 21 premises in Belgium and Portugal. A judge has now applied for the sealing of the offices of two parliamentary assistants. It is not yet known whether EU parliamentarians and assistants are among the accused.
Money and gifts for 5G licenses
The investigation is about the suspicion that lobbyists from the Chinese Telekom Group Huawei have bribed EU parliamentarians and assistants with money and gifts since 2021 in order to come into play when awarding 5G licenses. According to the public prosecutor, bribery “regularly” and “very discrete” should have taken place.
For example, EU parliamentarians were rewarded for certain political statements with “inappropriate gifts” such as the takeover of travel expenses and food calculations or regular invitations to play football. Of the eight defendants, three are currently in custody – they are those suspects that were arrested abroad and then delivered. Two other defendants were released against conditions, the other three wear electronic ankle cuffs.
Huawei: “Null tolerance policy” Opposite corruption
The Chinese company Huawei has declared that it takes the allegations seriously and will immediately contact the authorities in order to fully understand the situation. The company also stated that it is pursuing a zero tolerance policy compared to corruption and other misconduct.
The European Parliament announced that it had received support from the Belgian authorities for support in the investigation and that it would fulfill it quickly and quickly.
