Belgian police carries out massive raid in corruption probe linked to EU parliament

Belgian police carried out raids at multiple locations on Thursday (March 13) as part of an investigation into alleged corruption linked to lobbying efforts.

Several individuals were detained for questioning over their suspected involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as forgery and the use of forged documents, Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office said in a statement.

About 100 officers participated in the operation, which included 21 searches across Belgium and Portugal, prosecutors said.

Belgian newspaper Le Soir and investigative website Follow the Money reported that the probe centers on Chinese tech giant Huawei and its lobbying activities in Brussels since 2021. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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The raids come more than two years after the “Qatargate” scandal, in which several European lawmakers were accused of accepting payments to promote the interests of Qatar and Morocco—allegations both countries have denied.

Prosecutors did not disclose details about the individuals or companies involved but said the alleged corruption, carried out by a “criminal organisation,” had been ongoing since 2021.

Authorities said the scheme involved various forms of bribery, including payments for political positions, excessive gifts such as travel and entertainment, and invitations to sporting events aimed at influencing political decisions. The alleged kickbacks were disguised as conference expenses and funneled through intermediaries, prosecutors said, adding that they were also investigating potential money laundering.

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Belgian media reported that the investigation focuses on a former parliamentary assistant who worked as Huawei’s EU public affairs director at the time. Police took several lobbyists into custody, according to Le Soir, and they were expected to appear before a judge for questioning.

None of those detained Thursday morning were sitting EU lawmakers, AFP cited a police source as saying.

A spokesperson for the European Parliament said it was aware of the investigation and would cooperate fully with judicial authorities if requested.

With inputs from AFP