1 week Ago By Simon Sharwood
European authorities last week charged eight people with offenses including corruption and money laundering linked to the European Parliament – and perhaps also to Huawei. The charges follow the March raids on Huawei offices in Belgium and Portugal conducted as part of an investigation thought to be considering a 2021 letter signed by some European lawmakers that expressed concerns about the “politicization” of 5G networks across the continent. That alleged victim of politicization is felt to be Huawei, which was banned by several European countries after intelligence services decided the company, and perhaps its products, can be used by Beijing as a source of intelligence on critical communications infrastructure.
It's alleged lawmakers who signed the letter may have been paid for their endorsement, with funds perhaps funneled through Portugal. Some offices in the European Parliament were placed under seal in the wake of the raids. Belgium’s Public Prosecutor’s Office last week revealed charges were laid against eight people connected to the March raids.
The identity of those charged was not revealed, however Politico reports that a few days before the charges were laid Huawei’s European operation fired two staffers and suspended another. Huawei told Politico it takes the investigation seriously. However, the head of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Ville Itälä, told the outlet he chose not to investigate the matter as he could not find concrete evidence to work with when a complain reached the org in 2023.
The charges arrived amid wider debate about the somewhat flabby ethics rules that apply to members of the European Parliament. They also coincide with a delicious geopolitical moment during which Europe and China are re-evaluating how their relationship could protect both against the tariff war initiated by the USA. China and Europe both need export customers, and the USA currently looks like it may be a difficult market to target for years to come.
If working around US president Donald Trump’s tariffs led to Huawei being welcomed back to Europe it would be an astounding turnaround, but also an unlikely one given security concerns about the Chinese vendor have not eased. The Salt Typhoon attacks that utterly compromised US telecoms networks have also given all nations a good reason to think very carefully about China’s access to telecoms networks. ®.
