The European Parliament has publicly identified five of its lawmakers implicated in an ongoing bribery scandal investigation linked to the Chinese technology conglomerate Huawei Technologies. This revelation marks a significant development in a probe spearheaded by Belgian federal prosecutors, who allege that Huawei engaged in illicit lobbying practices involving bribery and undue influence within EU institutions.
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On Wednesday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola publicly named the five lawmakers targeted by Belgian prosecutors. They are:
- Daniel Attard, Maltese Socialist MEP
- Nikola Minchev, Bulgarian centrist MEP from Renew Europe
- Salvatore De Meo, Italian member of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP)
- Fulvio Martusciello, Italian EPP member
- Giusi Princi, Italian EPP member
All five are accused of accepting gifts or illicit payments from Huawei in return for lobbying efforts benefiting the Chinese tech giant’s interests within the Parliament.
These accusations include details of undisclosed financial incentives, extravagant hospitality such as football match tickets, and all-expenses-paid trips to China. Belgian authorities suspect the gifts were systematically used to influence the lawmakers’ positions on technology and digital infrastructure policies, notably concerning 5G rollout debates in the EU.
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The lobbying process itself is not unknown and is not illegal, as long as the limits of lobbying are not exceeded. In this case, there are strong suspicions that Huawei exceeded the limits of what is permitted in the lobbying process.
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