BRUSSELS ― In a significant move, Belgian authorities have formally requested the European Parliament to lift the immunities of several EU lawmakers implicated in a bribery scandal associated with the Chinese tech company Huawei. This request, confirmed by multiple EU officials, follows two months after allegations of a cash-for-influence scheme first surfaced.
Details of the Investigation
Initial reports indicate that five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are under scrutiny. This group includes three representatives from the center-right European People’s Party, one from the Socialist Party, and one from the centrist Renew group. While the complete list of affected lawmakers has yet to be disclosed, Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and Bulgarian Renew MEP Nikola Minchev have publicly acknowledged that they are part of the investigation.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola is set to reveal the identities of all implicated MEPs at the start of a plenary session on Wednesday. Additionally, the investigation is expanding to include some Parliament staff, according to one official.
Allegations and Responses
The legal affairs committee of the Parliament will consider the request to strip the MEPs of their immunities, a process that could be expedited to four weeks if fast-tracked, or extend up to a year for more sensitive cases.
“I was not made aware that the invitation originated from any company, or that it involved a corporate box,” stated Attard, who is under investigation for attending a football match in a box owned by Huawei in September.
He further elaborated that the invitation came from an individual currently under investigation by Belgian authorities, who intended to discuss Huawei during the match. Following a meeting with representatives from Huawei, which he disclosed, Attard insisted he had no further communications regarding the company.
Meanwhile, Minchev has also confirmed his involvement in the investigation due to his attendance at the same football match. He expressed his desire to cooperate fully with the authorities, stating, “My presence at that event is now a reason for the authorities to want to investigate whether there was anything wrong with it.”
Police raided the offices of Minchev’s assistant, Adam Mouchtar, in mid-March as part of the ongoing investigation.
Moreover, authorities are examining eight MEPs who signed a letter in February 2021 urging European commissioners not to let geopolitical tensions obstruct the progress of 5G technology in Europe—a move that could potentially benefit Huawei. Investigators are probing whether these lawmakers were compensated for their endorsements, though it remains unclear if the current requests for immunity waivers include them.
As of now, at least eight individuals, including a senior Huawei executive in Europe, face charges of active corruption, money laundering, and involvement in a criminal organization following extensive police operations across Belgium, France, and Portugal.
An MEP’s assistant has also been charged; however, an Italian court declined to extradite her to Belgium despite a valid European arrest warrant issued at the end of April.
It is important to note that a request for lifting a lawmaker’s immunity does not imply guilt. Instead, it facilitates police procedures for questioning and investigation. The Belgian prosecutor’s office has refrained from commenting on the matter, while a Parliament spokesperson indicated that any requests will be made public only during the plenary session following their receipt.
This evolving scandal continues to capture significant attention across Europe, raising questions about the integrity of EU lawmakers and the influence of foreign corporations.