Belgian federal prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested several people in a corruption investigation linked to the European Parliament and the Chinese company Huawei, which is suspected of bribing European lawmakers.
The arrests followed an investigation by Le Soir and other media outlets that alleged lobbyists working for the Chinese telecoms giant were suspected of bribing both current and former members of the European Parliament to advance the company's commercial policies in Europe.
Prosecutors confirmed in a statement that the alleged bribery “benefits Huawei.”
Around 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels, as well as in the Flanders and Wallonia regions and in Portugal.
The investigating judge overseeing the case also ordered the sealing of offices in the European Parliament building belonging to two parliamentary assistants allegedly involved in the incident.
According to the prosecutor's office, one person was arrested in France.
The suspects will be questioned about “possible involvement in active corruption in the European Parliament, as well as forgery of documents and the use of counterfeit documents,” prosecutors said. “The crimes were allegedly committed by a criminal organisation.”
The company said in a statement that “Huawei takes these allegations seriously and will immediately contact the investigating authorities to further investigate the situation.”
“Huawei has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and other wrongdoing, and we are committed to always complying with all applicable laws and regulations,” the company added.
Huawei's public relations representatives in London did not respond to an emailed request for comment and were not immediately available for a telephone conversation.
The European Parliament only noted that the assembly “takes note of the information” and “always fully cooperates with law enforcement agencies.”
Huawei, a mobile phone maker and the world's largest maker of networking equipment for telecom and internet operators, has found itself at the center of tensions between the U.S. and China over technology and trade.
Several European countries have followed Washington's lead and banned Huawei equipment from being used in 5G mobile networks, citing accusations that it poses a security risk and could be used for Chinese spying.
The company has repeatedly denied this.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
