Eight individuals have been accused of corruption, money laundering, and involvement in a criminal organization following an investigation into suspected bribery within the European Parliament, as announced by Belgium’s public prosecutor on Friday. These charges follow the detention of several people on March 13 by Belgian prosecutors, who were investigating alleged bribery that could have benefited China’s Huawei.

Belgian investigators conducted raids across Belgium and in Portugal on March 13, and a judge subsequently ordered the sealing of the offices of two parliamentary assistants. The alleged corruption, involving discrete actions since 2021 under the guise of commercial lobbying, consisted of payments for political positions, excessive gifts like food and travel expenses, or regular invitations to football matches, primarily to benefit Huawei.

Huawei has responded to the allegations, stating they are being taken seriously and that the company is cooperating with authorities to understand the situation. Huawei maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward corruption and other misconduct.

On Friday, the prosecutor’s office confirmed that three of the eight charged individuals are under electronic surveillance, two have been released, and three remain in custody. The European Parliament has received and will fully assist a request from Belgian authorities regarding the investigation.

The ‘Qatargate’ scandal, a cash-for-influence scheme involving allegations of bribery by Qatar and Morocco against European politicians and organizations to influence the EU assembly, is still under investigation. This event shook the EU at the end of 2022, with Belgian authorities charging four individuals linked to the European Parliament on related suspicions.

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/world/belgium-charges-8-people-european-union-parliament-bribery-probe