One of Huawei’s European executives is a suspect in a Belgian investigation into alleged corruption in the European Parliament in favor of the Chinese technology company.
This became known to Politico, which has reviewed documents related to the court case.
Documents related to the hearing show that the official appeared in a Belgian court on Tuesday, April 8.
He is accused of “active corruption of a person holding a public office, participation in a criminal organization, and money laundering.”
This top manager is listed as Huawei’s vice president for the European region. Previously, he served as the company’s chief representative in the European Union, heading Huawei’s public relations office in Brussels. His name is listed as Yong J.
The closed-door hearing on Tuesday, April 8, was part of a proceeding in which the defense team discussed procedural issues with judges, including possible detention.
According to the arrest warrant, which was reviewed by the publication, Belgian investigators are investigating whether illegal payments were made to obtain political support for an open letter defending the interests of a Chinese company signed by eight members of the European Parliament.
The Belgian prosecutor’s office announced on Friday, April 4, that it had indicted eight people in the case. This happened after a series of police searches in Belgium and Portugal, including at Huawei’s lobbying headquarters in Brussels and a number of European Parliament offices.
It is noted that in addition to Yong J., three other Huawei employees are among the suspects in the corruption case. They include a lobbyist and a senior executive of the company. They are also face charges of corruption, money laundering, and involvementminal organization.
All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
On Monday, April 7, a Huawei spokesperson said that the company had laid off two employees and suspended another in connection with their possible involvement in the bribery investigation. The company did not disclose the names and positions of these employees.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament has banned lobbyists working for the Chinese tech giant Huawei from entering its territory.
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