A major corruption investigation shook the European Parliament in March, focused on allegations that Chinese tech giant Huawei engaged in illicit lobbying practices to sway EU policy in its favour. The probe has led to several arrests and office raids in the Brussels’ seat of the Parliament, and provoked as a reaction a temporary ban on Huawei lobbyists.
What is the case about?
Belgian prosecutors are probing whether Huawei orchestrated a covert influence campaign within the European Parliament. Investigators are examining whether from 2021 Huawei representatives offered bribes to MEPs and their assistants.
The corruption “is said to have been practised regularly and very discreetly, under the guise of commercial lobbying ”, according to the Belgian prosecutor, and included remuneration, excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches.
These incentives were allegedly aimed at securing favourable political positions on topics of interest to the Chinese company.
What has the Belgian prosecutor decided so far?
On 13 March Belgian authorities conducted 21 searches across Belgium and Portugal, including raids on Huawei’s Brussels headquarters and the offices of some parliamentary assistants. These actions resulted in several arrests and the seizure of documents and electronic devices.
Subsequently, eight individuals were charged with offences including corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organisation. Among these, three remain in custody, three are under electronic surveillance, and two were released under conditions, according to the latest information provided by the Belgian prosecutor.
Who is involved?
The prosecutor has not named any of the suspects, but several media outlets reported the name of Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who is Huawei’s EU public affairs director and had been working as assistant to several MEPs in the Parliament. Ottati is considered a central figure in the alleged bribery scheme. He has not replied to Euronews’ requests of comment.
Abraham Liu, chief representative to the EU Institutions for Huawei is also involved in the case, according to media reports.
The Belgian Prosecutor also asked to lift the immunity of five members of the European Parliament, in order to be able to investigate their involvement.
Three of them belong to the center-right European People’s Party: the Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The others are the Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian Renew Europe’s MEP Nikola Minchev.
Offices of assistants to MEPs Marco Falcone (Italy/EPP) and Nikola Minchev (Bulgaria/Renew Europe) were sealed during the investigation, while in Italy the assistant Lucia Simeone was put under arrest and subsequently released.
What were the consequences in the Parliament?
Italian newspaper La Repubblica has cited a 2021 letter signed by eight MEPs advocating for the continued development of 5G technology in Europe without geopolitical hindrances as germane to the investigation.
The letter – promoted by Martusciello’s office – did not explicitly mention Huawei, but prosecutors believe it was crafted to promote the company’s interests. Investigators allege that payments were made to the letter’s author and co-signatories, disguised as consultancy fees and campaign expenses, according to reports. Have the prosecutors given no information on this?
Five of the eight MEPs who signed the letter and who are still members of the Parliament, told Euronews that they received no payments from Huawei.
How the EU institutions reacted
The European Parliament immediately suspended Huawei lobbyists from access to its premises, as a precautionary measure. This means that the company’s representatives cannot enter Parliament’s premises in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg.
The European Commission also suspended relations with Huawei. “The Commission shall not meet with any lobby groups and/or trade associations that represent Huawei’s interests and/or speak on its behalf,” the executive said in a statement.
Huawei has stated that it takes the allegations seriously and is committed to cooperating with the investigation, emphasising that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy toward corruption or other wrongdoing” and is “committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times”.
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