Huawei reiterates 'zero tolerance' for corruption amid EU bribery allegations
Huawei has reiterated its 'zero tolerance' stance on corruption following reports that it is under investigation for bribing members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The Chinese telecoms giant made the statement on Friday in response to allegations that emerged the previous day implicating the company in illegal lobbying practices.
The Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office has been investigating Huawei for some time, suspecting that bribes have been regularly and discreetly paid under the guise of commercial lobbying from 2021 to the present day.
Fifteen current and former MEPs and staff - mainly from Italy and Eastern Europe - are alleged to have received money and paid trips in exchange for political support for Huawei, which has faced restrictions in Europe due to security concerns.
Huawei takes these allegations seriously
"Huawei takes these allegations seriously and will urgently cooperate with investigators to better understand the situation," the company told AFP. However, it has yet to make a public statement on the matter.
Investigative platform Follow the Money reports that Huawei funnelled €1.7 million over ten years to think tanks and industry groups, a practice now under scrutiny.
Corruption-prone MEPs
The case draws parallels with Qatargate, where MEPs were bribed to promote Qatar's interests in EU policy. Unlike Qatargate, however, there is no evidence so far that the alleged bribery was coordinated by the Chinese government. Nonetheless, the scandal once again highlights how vulnerable EU politics remains to foreign influence and corruption.
Huawei Paris headquarter © Nasser Berzane/ABACAPRESS.COM
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