The European Parliament announced, Friday, March 14, temporarily depriving access to its buildings in Brussels and Strasbourg all the lobbyists and representatives of Huawei. The Chinese group is suspected of corruptions within the European Union institution to defend its interests.
This is a “Precautionary measure” with “Immediate effect”said a spokesperson for the parliament attached by the France-Presse agency (AFP). The Chinese group currently has nine accredited representatives, according to the institution’s transparency register, and therefore authorized to meet MEPs.
The decision comes the day after a wave of searches and arrests in an investigation for corruption in the hands of Belgian justice. The Belgian federal prosecutor’s office reported on Thursday 21 searches carried out across Belgium, and three other solicited in Portugal.
In the investigators’s crosshairs would appear active lobbyists for Huawei and parliamentary assistants suspected of having relayed requests for intervention from MEPs. There were several arrests on Thursday, including one in France of a suspect targeted by a European arrest warrant issued by the Belgian justice.
But no identity has been specified or the precise number of people arrested in order to be interviewed in Brussels.
According to the prosecution, corruption has been practiced ” regularly “ And “Very discreetly” Since 2021, “Under the guise of commercial lobbying”. It would have taken different forms, such as remuneration for political positions or “Excessive gifts” Like mouth, travel, or regular invitations to football matches.
Thursday, seals were placed on the doors of several offices used by parliamentary assistants both in Brussels and Strasbourg. An ex-Slovenian ex-deputy, whose name circulated in the press as suspect potential, denied the accusations.
The highest risk
Questioned by the Slovenian media, Franc Bogovic, former elected representative of the PPE (right), admitted to having been invited by the Chinese group to conferences and participated with him in a project around high speed internet, but he assured that he had no illegal behavior to blame himself.
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In 2023 Brussels had described the Chinese telecommunications giant as presenting the highest risk for EU countries among all 5G suppliers, calling on member states to exclude its equipment from their mobile networks.
Last year, Germany had announced its intention to prohibit by at the end of 2026 at the latest at the presence in its 5G networks of components and technologies of Chinese groups Huawei and ZTE. Berlin had highlighted reasons of ” security “.