Belgian authorities announce the arrests of several people in connection with the alleged bribery charges within the parliament.
Police have arrested several people as part of a corruption investigation targeting the European Parliament and Chinese technology company Huawei, Belgian authorities said.
After searching at 21 facilities in Belgium and Portugal, the suspect, who is allegedly involved in “active corruption” within the European Parliament to benefit Hoaway, told Belgium’s federal prosecutor’s office in a statement Thursday.
“It is said that corruption is practiced regularly and very carefully from 2021 until the present, poses as a variety of forms of commercial lobbying and political status and rewards such as food, travel expenses and regular invitations to football games,” the Prosecutor’s Office said.
Investigators believe illegal payments could have been “confused” in financial flows related to meeting costs, according to prosecutors.
“From this perspective, the investigation is also intended to detect evidence of money laundering, in some cases,” the prosecutor said.
Following the attack, the judge overseeing the case ordered the seals to be placed in the offices of two parliamentary assistants at the EU parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, France, the prosecutor added.
Prosecutors said they could not disclose further details given the presumption of innocence, including the suspect’s identity, and the integrity of the investigation.
Huawei and EU Parliament spokesmen did not immediately respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment.
The investigation comes within three years when several EU lawmakers and aides are caught up in the alleged bribery scandal involving Qatari and Moroccan officials.
Five present and previous MEPs – Evakairi in Greece. Italian pier Antonio Panzeri and Andrea Cozzolino. And Belgian Mark Taravera and Marie Arena are being charged in the case.
Panzeri cut plea deals with prosecutors in 2023, where he admitted his involvement in corruption.
The other four have not been convicted.
The Qatar and Moroccan governments have denied fraud in the incident.