CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Copyright AP Photo
By Vincenzo Genovese
Published on 21/05/2025
Belgian Prosecutors are investigating a corruption case involving the European Parliament and the Chinese tech company
A major corruption investigation shook the European Parliament in March, focused on allegations that Chinese tech giant Huawei engaged in illicit lobbying practices to sway EU policy in its favour. The probe has led to several arrests and office raids in the Brussels’ seat of the Parliament, and provoked as a reaction a temporary ban on Huawei lobbyists.
What is the case about?
Belgian prosecutors are probing whether Huawei orchestrated a covert influence campaign within the European Parliament. Investigators are examining whether from 2021 Huawei representatives offered bribes to MEPs and their assistants.
The corruption “is said to have been practised regularly and very discreetly, under the guise of commercial lobbying ”, according to the Belgian prosecutor, and included remuneration, excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches.
These incentives were allegedly aimed at securing favourable political positions on topics of interest to the Chinese company.
What has the Belgian prosecutor decided so far?
On 13 March Belgian authorities conducted 21 searches across Belgium and Portugal, including raids on Huawei's Brussels headquarters and the offices of some parliamentary assistants. These actions resulted in several arrests and the seizure of documents and electronic devices.
Subsequently, eight individuals were charged with offences including corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organisation. Among these, three remain in custody, three are under electronic surveillance, and two were released under conditions, according to the latest information provided by the Belgian prosecutor.
Who is involved?
The prosecutor has not named any of the suspects, but several media outlets reported the name of Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who is Huawei’s EU public affairs director and had been working as assistant to several MEPs in the Parliament. Ottati is considered a central figure in the alleged bribery scheme. He has not replied to Euronews' requests of comment.
Abraham Liu, chief representative to the EU Institutions for Huawei is also involved in the case, according to media reports.
The Belgian Prosecutor also asked to lift the immunity of five members of the European Parliament, in order to be able to investigate their involvement.
Three of them belong to the center-right European People’s Party: the Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The others are the Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian Renew Europe’s MEP Nikola Minchev.
Offices of assistants to MEPs Marco Falcone (Italy/EPP) and Nikola Minchev (Bulgaria/Renew Europe) were sealed during the investigation, while in Italy the assistant Lucia Simeone was put under arrest and subsequently released.
What were the consequences in the Parliament?
Italian newspaper La Repubblica has cited a 2021 letter signed by eight MEPs advocating for the continued development of 5G technology in Europe without geopolitical hindrances as germane to the investigation.
The letter - promoted by Martusciello's office - did not explicitly mention Huawei, but prosecutors believe it was crafted to promote the company's interests. Investigators allege that payments were made to the letter's author and co-signatories, disguised as consultancy fees and campaign expenses, according to reports. Have the prosecutors given no information on this?
Five of the eight MEPs who signed the letter and who are still members of the Parliament, told Euronews that they received no payments from Huawei.
How the EU institutions reacted
The European Parliament immediately suspended Huawei lobbyists from access to its premises, as a precautionary measure. This means that the company’s representatives cannot enter Parliament’s premises in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg.
The European Commission also suspended relations with Huawei. “The Commission shall not meet with any lobby groups and/or trade associations that represent Huawei’s interests and/or speak on its behalf," the executive said in a statement.
Huawei has stated that it takes the allegations seriously and is committed to cooperating with the investigation, emphasising that the company has a “zero-tolerance policy toward corruption or other wrongdoing” and is “committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times”.
European Parliament weighs immunity for 5 MEPs over Huawei probe
Copyright EbS
By Vincenzo Genovese
Published on 21/05/2025 -
Prosecutors want to investigate three members from the centre-right EPP, one from the Socialists and one from the centrist Renew group.
Belgian authorities have asked the European Parliament to waive the immunity of five of its members, Parliament’s president Roberta Metsola announced at the beginning of a plenary session in Brussels on Wednesday.
The request relates to the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and illicit lobbying practices involving Chinese company Huawei and some EU lawmakers and assistants.
Three of the five MEPs involved belong to the center-right European People’s Party: the Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The others are the Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian Renew Europe’s MEP Nikola Minchev.
In a previous statement to Euronews, Martusciello denied corruption, stating that he had only fleetingly met Huawei lobbyists, and that he and his staff never attended the firm's offices.
De Meo anticipated his inclusion in the list telling Italian news agency Ansa: “In my case, [the request] is linked to my participation in a convivial meeting, not organised by Huawei, which took place outside the European Parliament and which was also attended by representatives of the Huawei group."
He claimed he has never taken a position in favour of Huawei, either by signing letters, presenting amendments or any legislative activity attributable to the company's interests.
Attard said on his Facebook page that the request related to his presence at a football match between Belgian team Anderlecht and Hungarian team Ferencváros last September.
“I was not made aware that the invitation originated from any company, or that it involved a corporate box. I was simply informed by my assistant that a friend of his had tickets to the match [...] It has since emerged that the invitation came from a person who is currently under investigation by the Belgian authorities and who intended to speak to me about Huawei during the match,” wrote the Maltese MEP.
The topic was briefly raised during the game, reads the post, and a meeting was subsequently requested, which took place two weeks later in Strasbourg.
Attard stated he has not communicated with the company since, and took “no action” in relation to it or matters related to the company, and he wrote to President Metsola to formally ask for his immunity to be waived.
Attendance at an Anderlecht football match (Anderlecht-Ludogorets last October) was behind the request for Bulgarian MEP Minchev, he said in a statement to the Bulgarian press agency BTA.
“I will cooperate one hundred percent and I will ask the EP to lift the immunity as quickly as possible, because I have no connection to any illegal activity of these people, nor anything to worry about,” he said.
Each request for waiver will be now be assigned to a rapporteur on the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), whose next meeting is foreseen for 4-5 June.
The JURI Committee will prepare a report approving or rejecting the request by the Belgian prosecutor, while each MEP concerned will be given an opportunity to be heard, and may present any documents or other written evidence.
The Parliament’s plenary will have the final say, deciding whether to lift or not the MEP’s immunity with a vote by simple majority.
None of the five MEPs replied to requests for comment from Euronews.
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