Payments disguised as business expenses, invitations to sporting events, "excessive" gifts... The lobbyists responsible for representing Huawei in the European Parliament were the subject of an investigation by the daily newspaper Le Soir and other media outlets, which described a corrupt practice aimed at influencing European policies in favor of the company. MEPs and former members of parliament were allegedly bribed by Huawei representatives.
Largesse to obtain political favors
The Belgian justice system took over and mobilized around a hundred federal police officers who conducted 21 searches in Belgium, Portugal, and France. Several suspects were arrested, suspected of involvement in active corruption, forgery and counterfeiting, and money laundering. The prosecutor's office said: that he suspected acts of corruption from 2021 until today, "in exchange for political positions."
The European Parliament "took note" of the operation and "is cooperating fully with the judicial authorities." Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier said the EU executive had no comment. to do in this matter, while recalling his security concerns surrounding Huawei and 5G mobile networks in Europe.
“The security of our 5G networks is obviously crucial for our economy,” he declared. “Huawei represents a significantly higher risk than other 5G providers.” That is why Member States should quickly “adopt decisions to restrict or exclude Huawei from their 5G networks. France has already taken steps to prevent the deployment of Huawei's 5G equipment. For its part, Huawei said it takes these allegations "seriously" and "will communicate urgently with investigators to better understand the situation." The company adds that it has a "zero tolerance policy for corruption or any other misconduct."
Source: PBS
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