BRUSSELS, Mar 18 (Reuters) - The Belgian prosecutor's office announced on Tuesday the charging of five individuals in connection with activities in the European Parliament reportedly linked to China's Huawei (HWT.UL).
The detainees, held last week, consist of four individuals who have been arrested and charged with active corruption and involvement in a criminal organization while the fifth individual is facing money laundering charges and has been conditionally released.
The names of those involved have not been disclosed to the public to maintain anonymity.
Further investigative searches were carried out on Monday at the European Parliament offices. At present, there has been no response from the European Parliament concerning an email request for comment.
Last week, Huawei responded to the allegations by stating, "Huawei has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption or other wrongdoing, and we are committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times."
Prosecutors have revealed that the alleged corruption transpired "very discreetly" since 2021, masked under the pretense of commercial lobbying, involving payments for advocating certain political stances, extravagant gifts like food and travel expenses, and regular invites to football matches.