The headquarters of the Chinese tech giant Huawei in Brussels was raided on Thursday by the Belgian federal police, along with the homes of several of its lobbyists on suspicions of involvement in bribery, forgery, money laundering, and organized crime with members of the European Parliament, reports Efe.
An investigation by Belgian newspapers Le Soir and Knack along with investigative media 'Follow the Money' and 'Reporters United' revealed that 21 homes in Brussels, Wallonia, Flanders, and Portugal were raided early this morning, with about fifteen current and former Euro MPs suspected to be involved in the case, according to investigators.
According to Le Soir, several lobbyists of the Chinese company have been detained.
Quoted by this newspaper, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office has confirmed, without mentioning Huawei by name, that the crimes occurred between 2021 and the present "under the guise of commercial lobbying, taking various forms such as payment for political positions or even excessive gifts like food, travel expenses, or even regular invitations to football matches."
The aim of these pressure activities, as reported by the investigating media, would be to counter U.S. attempts to exclude Chinese telecommunications companies from sensitive markets and advocate for the European market to open up to Chinese companies.
"The financial benefits linked to the alleged corruption may have been mixed into financial flows related to conference expenses and paid to various intermediaries, with the aim of concealing their illicit nature or allowing the perpetrators to evade the consequences of their actions. From this perspective, the investigation is also seeking to identify elements of money laundering, if any," said the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office, as cited by Le Soir.
So far, the European Parliament has not received any requests to lift immunity nor have there been any raids on its premises. A spokesperson for the European Parliament noted that they have taken note of the information published in the press and that the institution "always fully cooperates" with judicial authorities when required.