Belgian authorities conducted searches at the Brussels headquarters of Chinese tech giant Huawei and at 21 homes across Belgium—and even in Portugal—as part of a fresh corruption probe into alleged bribery of members of the European Parliament.
According to investigative reports from Follow the Money, Le Soir, and Knack, lobbyists working for Huawei are suspected of paying bribes to influence EU decision-making. Sources claim that around 15 current and former MEPs might be implicated in the case. The police operation, described as covert, targeted potential evidence of crimes including bribery, forgery, money laundering, and criminal organization, with documents and electronic devices being confiscated during the searches.
A 41-year-old lobbyist, Valerio Ottati, identified as a central figure in the investigation, is said to have joined Huawei six years ago after previously working for Italian MEPs on China dossiers. Belgian authorities have indicated that if the investigation implicates current MEPs, they will request that the European Parliament waive their immunity. A spokesperson for the Parliament affirmed that the institution “always cooperates fully with the judicial authorities.” To date, however, no searches have been conducted at the European Parliament itself, and no immunity waivers have been requested.
This latest probe comes at a time when the European Parliament is still grappling with the fallout from the 2022 Qatargate scandal, which exposed corruption involving cash and other benefits exchanged by some MEPs for influencing EU policies. The new allegations risk further damaging the institution’s reputation, with far-right and Eurosceptic politicians once again alleging systemic corruption within the EU.
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Lee Jae-myung leads polls as voters choose amid political upheaval, economic fears, and Trump’s tariff hike.
The Trump administration has renewed its push for the Supreme Court to allow sweeping reductions in the federal workforce, as legal challenges from labor unions and cities—including San Francisco, Chicago, and Baltimore—move forward in lower courts.
The United States has reportedly offered Iran a nuclear proposal that would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment for an unspecified period—a marked shift from previous public U.S. positions that demanded full dismantlement of Iran’s enrichment program.
Russia and Ukraine have made progress toward peace during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, agreeing on an expanded humanitarian exchange and moving closer to a ceasefire, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan said.
U.S. stocks pushed higher on Monday, closing in on record levels after a volatile start to the day. Despite weak manufacturing data and renewed trade tensions between the U.S. and China, investor optimism held strong, with major indexes recovering thanks to tech gains and a surge in oil prices.
Lee Jae-myung leads polls as voters choose amid political upheaval, economic fears, and Trump’s tariff hike.
The Trump administration has renewed its push for the Supreme Court to allow sweeping reductions in the federal workforce, as legal challenges from labor unions and cities—including San Francisco, Chicago, and Baltimore—move forward in lower courts.
The United States has reportedly offered Iran a nuclear proposal that would allow limited low-level uranium enrichment for an unspecified period—a marked shift from previous public U.S. positions that demanded full dismantlement of Iran’s enrichment program.
Russia and Ukraine have made progress toward peace during the second round of negotiations in Istanbul, agreeing on an expanded humanitarian exchange and moving closer to a ceasefire, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan said.
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