Belgian police have attacked several locations in the country as part of a corruption investigation in the European Parliament.
The prosecutors said that the alleged corruption was « under the costume of commercial pressure » and that several people had been detained for questioning.
According to officials, local police also sought an address in Portugal, while in France a person was arrested.
The Belgian newspaper Le Soir said that the research was related to the Huawei Chinese technology giant and its activities in Brussels since 2021. The BBC has approached Huawei for comments.
« Corruption is supposed to be practiced regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present, under the costume of commercial pressure and taking various ways, such as a compensation for excessive political positions or gifts such as eating and traveling expenses or invitations to football matches, » said the Prosecutor’s Office.
Le Soir reported that several people suspected of being pressure groups working in Huawei were detained, on the alleged bribe of current or former members of the European Parliament (MEP) to promote the company’s commercial policy.
Belgian police sealed two offices within the European Parliament at the request of the judge in charge of the case.
A spokesman for the Prosecutor’s Office told the BBC that he had not directed directly to Thursday’s raids.
A total of 21 raids were made in Brussels, Flanders and Wallonia, the prosecution said in the newspaper.
The investigation focuses on « active corruption within the European Parliament », as well as « forgery and use of forged documents », all within the framework of a « criminal organization », said the prosecution, who added that he also sought to discover possible money laundering.
Additional reports of Bruno Boelpaep
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