Huawei Bribery Scandal Hits European Parliament As Police Target Lawmakers
A widening corruption probe tied to Chinese telecom giant Huawei has rocked the European Parliament, with Belgian and Portuguese authorities raiding 21 sites and charging five individuals in connection to a sprawling bribery scheme. At least 15 lawmakers and former members of the European Parliament are now under investigation.
The bribery effort reportedly began in 2021 and continued through this year. According to prosecutors, payments and lavish perks — including meals, travel and frequent soccer match invitations — were provided in exchange for political influence. Some of those involved are suspected of being paid to push Huawei’s interests within European institutions.
Among the key points of the probe is a 2021 letter signed by eight members of the Parliament defending Chinese technology providers. Though Huawei’s name was not mentioned in the letter, the content clearly opposed actions that would limit Chinese firms’ access to European infrastructure projects.
Authorities say one of the letter’s authors may have received over $16,000, while individual signatories were allegedly paid smaller sums of around $1,600 each. Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello was among those who endorsed the letter. His aide and a former adviser have since been arrested.
Despite being warned about suspicious activity, the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF declined to take action at the time, citing a lack of adequate suspicion. That decision has come under renewed scrutiny as the scope of the alleged corruption becomes more public.
Four of the five individuals charged so far are facing accusations of corruption and criminal organization involvement. A fifth person has been released on conditional terms and is facing money laundering charges. Prosecutors said the scheme operated quietly under the appearance of standard lobbying efforts.
The European Parliament has yet to respond to the latest developments, even as investigators conducted fresh searches within its offices earlier this week.
