The Federal Police of Belgium registered on Thursday the headquarters of the Chinese technological giant Huawei in Brussels and the homes of several of its lobists on suspicions that they could have participated in crimes of bribery, falsification, money laundering and criminal organization with members of the European Parliament.
An investigation of Belgian newspapers The evening y Knack Next to the means of research Follow the Money y Reporters United He revealed that in the early hours of this morning there have been 21 homes in Brussels, Valonia, Flanders and Portugal and that there would be a fortnight of MEP (current and old) involved in the case, according to the researchers. According to The eveningthe authorities arrested several lobbyists from the Chinese company.
Cited by this newspaper, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has confirmed, not to mention Huawei by name, that the crimes occurred between 2021 and the present “under the appearance of lobby commercial and adopting various forms, such as remuneration for taking certain political positions or even the delivery of excessive gifts, such as food meals and expenses, or even regular invitations to football matches ”. The newspaper also speaks of “transfers of several thousand euros.”
The nationality or political affiliation of the allegedly involved Eurodiputates in the bribes has not yet transcended, but according to The evening There is no Belgian parliamentarian involved. On the other hand, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office has published a statement stating that the offices of two parliamentary assistants involved in the plot have been closed and that a person has been arrested in France.
The objective of these pressure activities, according to the media publishing the research, would be to counteract the attempts of the United States to exclude Chinese telecommunications companies of sensitive markets, as well as to advocate that the European market opens to Chinese companies.
“The financial benefits linked to the alleged corruption may have been mixed in financial flows related to lectures and paid expenses to various intermediaries, with the aim of hiding their illicit nature or allowing the authors to avoid the consequences of their acts. From this perspective, the investigation is also trying to identify elements of money laundering, where appropriate, ”said the Belgian Federal Prosecutor’s Office, cited by The evening.
At the moment, the European Parliament has not received any application for immunity lifting or records have been produced at its headquarters. A spokeswoman for the Eurocamara told EFE that they have taken note of the information published in the press and that the institution “always cooperates fully” with the judicial authorities when required.
Asked about the case during the daily press conference of the European Commission, the spokesman for technological sovereignty, Thomas Regnier, did not enter to comment on the records and arrests but stressed that the European Commission has already recommended from 2023 that the Member States “restrule or exclude” Huawei of their 5G networks.
“The security of our 5G networks is crucial for our economy. The commission has evaluated that Huawei represents a higher material risk than other suppliers […]. We urged all member states to act because a lack of rapid reaction could expose the EU as a whole to a clear risk, ”said Regnier and collects EFE.
This new investigation comes when the responsibilities derived from the Qatargatethe corruption scandal for bribes to deputies to intercede in favor of Qatar and Morocco.
Source: www.eldiario.es
