Belgian police have conducted searches, including at the offices of Chinese tech giant Huawei, in connection with a new corruption case in the European Parliament.
The Belgian police conducted searches at Huawei’s headquarters in Brussels and 20 other locations in the provinces of Flanders and Wallonia in Belgium, as well as in Portugal, which led to several arrests. Le Soir reported on this event.
The Belgian prosecutor’s office said that an investigation is underway into allegations of active corruption, forgery, and money laundering in the European Parliament, which allegedly benefited Huawei.
“We can confirm that we have an ongoing investigation into preliminary allegations of corruption, forgery, and money laundering in the European Parliament,” a spokesman for the Belgian prosecutor’s office said.
Follow the Money, Le Soir, and Knack reported that the prosecutor’s office is investigating offenses related to the Chinese tech giant Huawei. A person with knowledge of the investigation also confirmed its connection to Huawei.
The investigation concerns the bribery of MEPs by Huawei lobbyists to influence decision-making that favors the Chinese company. Two assistants involved in the case had their offices closed during the operation.
Politico reported that law enforcement officers sealed the office of Adam Muchtar, “a longtime official and current aide to newly elected Bulgarian MEP Nikola Minchev.” The offices of Italian MEPs Fulvio Martusciello and Marco Falcone were also sealed.
One of the main suspects is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, Huawei’s director of government relations in the EU and a former assistant to two Italian MPs who worked on EU policy toward China.
According to the source, Ottati had no experience in technology, and his appointment was due to his connections. The European Commission declined to comment on the investigation but emphasized that there are serious security risks associated with Huawei and its impact on European 5G networks.
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