Belgian authorities have charged five people and searched over 20 locations across two countries as part of a corruption probe involving Chinese tech giant Huawei and current and former members of the European Parliament. At the center of the investigation is a 2021 letter circulated inside the Parliament defending Chinese access to European infrastructure projects.
The letter, which eight lawmakers signed, opposed efforts to restrict Chinese technology over security concerns. Though Huawei was never named directly, investigators believe the letter aligned with the company’s objectives and was financially backed by Huawei-linked operatives.
What is going on in Europe?
The E.U. is now embroiled in a spiraling corruption & bribery scandal involving CCP spy gear maker Huawei.
The corruption scandal involves “preliminary charges of active corruption, forgery of documents, money laundering” at the European Parliament. pic.twitter.com/guS56y8TZK
— Brendan Carr (@BrendanCarrFCC) March 14, 2025
Police allege that one person involved in writing the letter was offered over $16,000. The signers were reportedly paid smaller sums — about $1,600 each — for their support. Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello, one of the signatories, is under scrutiny after both his aide and a former adviser were arrested.
Corruption in the Parliament – Same old?
"Huawei had a great interest, big money" @petras_petras
"There's rules to enforce ethics guidelines, but they choose not to" @swheaton
"This is unacceptable" R. Lewis @Brussels_School
Watch #BrusselsMyLove all weekend on @euronews pic.twitter.com/hKdMoM4F84
— euronews (@euronews) March 23, 2025
Prosecutors believe the payments, which were masked as typical lobbying efforts, began in 2021 and continued until this year. Benefits included not only cash but also perks such as event tickets, travel accommodations and meals. The operation was described by prosecutors as carefully concealed and executed “very discreetly.”
Belgian police conducted raids on Huawei's offices in Brussels and the homes of the company's lobbyists as part of an investigation into alleged corruption within the European Parliament. Authorities suspect that the Chinese tech giant offered bribes and luxury privileges to… pic.twitter.com/aeYxCARFrN
— TVP World (@TVPWorld_com) March 15, 2025
Despite early warnings from a nongovernmental group, the EU’s anti-fraud agency OLAF declined to open an investigation, citing lack of sufficient evidence. This decision has drawn criticism in light of the arrests and raids that have since followed.
2025.3.16 Belgium is investigating Huawei, a CCP military-linked company associated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), over allegations of bribing European Parliament members and engaging in illegal lobbying to undermine espionage accusations and sway EU policies. Raids… pic.twitter.com/GfLxwBIQ9S
— 台灣寶島農場🇹🇼 (@N0000024) March 17, 2025
The European Parliament itself has not responded publicly. Offices within the Parliament were included in recent searches as part of the broader effort to uncover the extent of foreign influence.
Huawei not only uses predatory pricing practices to undercut the more secure western products but it appears they use bribery too…https://t.co/zDNuCJ3W7h
— Rob Joyce (@RGB_Lights) March 19, 2025
The case follows a separate corruption scandal that involved lawmakers accused of taking bribes from Qatar, Morocco and Mauritania. Officials estimate that over $4 million was distributed in those cases to manipulate EU policies.
