Four people arrested in corruption probe into Huawei's EU lobbying
Four people have been arrested in the investigation into possible corruption by Huawei in connection with lobbying activities in the European Parliament. This was reported by Le Soir and Knack and confirmed by the federal prosecutor's office on Tuesday.
The four individuals are suspected of active corruption and membership of a criminal organisation, according to the federal prosecutor's office. A fifth person was arrested on suspicion of money laundering, but was released under conditions.
The four people arrested appeared in court in Brussels on Tuesday. The court extended their pre-trial detention by one month. The prosecutor's office does not comment on the identities of those involved in the investigation.
'Huaweigate'
The arrests are part of an investigation into corruption practices in the European Parliament related to lobbying by the Chinese telecommunications company Huawei. The corruption allegedly took place from 2021 to the present day, including payments for political positions or excessive gifts.
The lobbyists were allegedly trying to refute allegations of espionage by Huawei, promote the opening of the European market to Chinese investment and counter US lobbyists - who wanted to exclude the Chinese company from sensitive contracts.
Last Thursday, 21 searches were carried out in the Brussels-Capital region, Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal. Several people were detained for questioning. The offices of two parliamentary assistants at the European Parliament were also sealed. These offices were searched on Monday.
PHOTO © Hector RETAMAL / AFP
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