Extent still unclear Arrests and raids - EU Parliament threatened by corruption scandal
Police officers search the headquarters of Chinese telecoms company Huawei in Belgium and Portugal. There is suspicion of bribery of members of the EU Parliament.
13.03.2025, 13:13
SDA
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- Belgian media suspect Huawei is behind bribery attempts to exert political influence, but there is no official confirmation.
- In Belgium and Portugal, 21 house searches were carried out as part of corruption investigations and several suspects were provisionally arrested.
- The corruption has allegedly taken place under the guise of lobbying since 2021, including through remuneration for political statements and covert payments.
As part of investigations into active bribery and forgery, around 100 police officers carried out 21 house searches in Belgium and Portugal, according to a statement from the federal public prosecutor's office in Brussels. Several suspects were provisionally arrested and are now being questioned. The aim of the alleged bribery is said to have been to influence political decisions for business interests.
The public prosecutor's office did not comment on possible clients. Several Belgian media reported that the investigators suspect the Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei to be behind the attempts to influence. Chinese technology in Western mobile communications has been the subject of heated debate for years. Huawei critics fear that China could gain access to cell phone networks via the company.
When asked, a spokeswoman for the EU Parliament said that they always cooperate fully at the request of the authorities. According to the news agency DPA, there were initially no searches in the Parliament itself. Whether and, if so, how many former or active MEPs are in the focus of the authorities was not disclosed. There were no indications that any MPs had been arrested.
Lobbying as a cover for bribery
According to the public prosecutor's office, corruption is said to have been practised regularly and very discreetly "under the guise of commercial lobbying in various forms" from 2021 to the present day. These included payments for political statements or inappropriate gifts such as regular invitations to football matches or the payment of restaurant and travel expenses.
Money could also have flowed to intermediaries in a hidden manner, for example when conference costs were covered. The public prosecutor's office also announced that it is investigating suspected money laundering. "Several documents and objects have been confiscated and need to be analyzed further."
