Belgian authorities are investigating possible illegal payments made by the Chinese company Huawei for an open letter signed by eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), which defended the corporation’s interests in 2021.
According to the Belgian prosecutor’s office, raids were conducted at 21 locations as part of an investigation into “corruption in the European Parliament” linked to Huawei. Investigators are examining cases of “excessive gifts” and “remuneration for political positions” from 2021 to the present.
Case materials indicate that a key element of the investigation is a letter sent in February 2021 to three EU commissioners, arguing against geopolitical interference in the development of 5G in Europe. Although Huawei was not explicitly mentioned in the document, it is seen as favoring the company’s interests.
A former parliamentary adviser to Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello, as well as his current assistant, who has since been suspended, have been arrested. According to the investigation, €15,000 was offered for writing the letter, while each of the eight signatories was offered €1,500.
Huawei has not yet commented on the situation, stating that it maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption. The MEPs who signed the letter deny any involvement in a corruption scheme. This investigation marks the second major corruption scandal in the European Parliament following the 2022 Qatargate case.
