This week, three Huawei employees and a managing director of Forum Europe, a Brussels-based conference organizer, appeared in court hearings related to an investigation into the Chinese multinational’s alleged corrupt practices while lobbying.
Belgian prosecutors said the three were joined by a fourth Huawei team member, who was arrested on April 1st. The hearings at the Brussels indictment chamber assess procedural aspects of an investigation into illegal payments to influence MEPs.
The investigation, launched after raids on March 13th at more than 20 locations in Belgium and Portugal, probes whether Huawei bribed eight MEPs in 2021 to obtain an open letter of support related to 5G technology.
According to Belgian prosecutors, five people were charged on March 18th. The arrest of the fourth Huawei team member brings the total to eight suspects. The arrest warrant reveals that €15,000 was offered to the person allegedly writing the letter and €1,500 to each co-signatory, with the approval of Chinese executives, including the head of the Brussels office.
The arrest warrant mentions two invoices for €18,450 and €27,500 respectively, allegedly for fictitious “consulting services.” Huawei reiterated on April 2nd that it “takes these allegations seriously” and maintains a “zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.”
On March 31st, two parliamentary assistants of Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello were arrested in France and Italy respectively, accepting their extradition to Belgium.
The Chinese embassy in Belgium said it was in communication with the authorities and demanded that Chinese companies comply with local laws.
On April 2nd, the EU’s anti-fraud office (OLAF) announced that it would not investigate the case known as ‘Huaweigate,’ despite the evidence presented by Belgium.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament maintains the suspension of Huawei lobbyists, a measure adopted on March 14th following the start of the investigation.
