The corruption scandal involving Chinese multinational Huawei in Brussels has reached a new level with the arrest of Valerio Ottati, a former adviser at the European Parliament and Huawei’s chief lobbyist since 2019. Ottati stands accused of bribing Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) through gifts, cash payments and favours—all allegedly with the knowledge, and according to some sources, the approval, of his direct superiors at Huawei.
Ottati was the central figure in Huawei’s lobbying efforts in the European capital for over four years, despite numerous internal warnings about his irregular conduct. Former employees have reported that the Italian boasted openly about “having MEPs on the payroll.” He is alsocredited with the phrase: “We need to make sure there’s a nice gift under this MEPs’ Christmas tree.”
Belgian prosecutors have charged Ottati and at least three other executives with active corruption, money laundering, and membership in a criminal organisation. The authorities have also requested lifting parliamentary immunity for five MEPs allegedly involved in the network. According to investigators, between 2021 and 2025, Huawei operated a network of favors disguised as lobbying activities, including dinners, trips, football match tickets, and payments through shell companies.
One of the key operations was the drafting and submission of a letter signed by eight MEPs, denouncing “technological racism” against Chinese companies like Huawei. (The term is unsurprising given the dominant mentality in the euro-federalist environment, where such language is well accepted within the broader woke ideology.) According to the investigation, Ottati wrote the text and offered up to €25,500 for lawmakers to attach their names to it.
Beyond the institutional corruption, the case reveals serious failures in Huawei’s internal governance. Ten former employees claim that Huawei’s Brussels leadership was repeatedly informed about Ottati’s behaviour. Nevertheless, he was rewarded with increased responsibilities and a salary raise, likely due to his success in garnering political support.
One of the most illustrative episodes took place in 2021, when Ottati, after a meeting with Commissioner Thierry Breton, mistakenly called him on his private number and shouted at him over the phone. The incident led the European Commission to severely restrict Huawei’s contact with its members.
Despite the incident, the Chinese corporation kept Ottati in his position. In an email, Huawei’s rotating chairman, Ken Hu, stated: “The staff member has been informed of the seriousness of this mistake and I am assured that this will not occur again.”
Huawei claims it dismissed the implicated employees following a judicial raid and asserts it “works in full transparency with the authorities.” However, the company has not clarified whether any disciplinary actions have been taken against its European executives. Judicial documents reveal that Abraham Liu and Tony Jin Yong—the successive heads of Huawei’s Brussels office—approved expenses and contracts that are now under investigation.
Belgian authorities began investigating in early 2023 after intelligence services alerted them to possible bribery attempts involving members of the European Parliament. For over a year, Ottati was under constant surveillance. Police intercepted conversations in which the lobbyist openly admitted that at Huawei, “lines were crossed regularly” and that legislative “amendments were being paid for.”
