Latest news with #NikolaMinchev
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Belgium bugs stadium to spy on Chinese tech bosses
Belgian security services bugged a football stadium in a probe into alleged corruption involving Huawei and the European Parliament. Listening devices were placed in a corporate box being used by the Chinese tech giant to entertain MEPs at Lotto Park, the home of RSC Anderlecht. Investigators also listened to conversations by one of Huawei's top lobbyists in his car as part of the sprawling investigation. To date, the probe has seen more than 20 premises raided and requests lodged for the immunity of four MEPs to be lifted as investigators look into suspected corruption within the EU Parliament. When the investigation was first revealed to the public in March, the Belgian authorities said 'regular invitations to football matches' were being used by lobbyists linked to Huawei to secure favourable political statements. The Chinese state-backed tech firm rented a corporate box at Anderlecht's stadium for the 2024/2025 season, the Politico news website reported. The Belgian Pro League's most successful-ever side hosted clubs like Porto and Fenerbahce this season in the Europa League, Europe's second-tier competition. Belgian authorities are looking into whether the private box was used as part of an attempt to schmooze MEPs, which could be later used to further Huawei's position in EU policymaking. Two of the four MEPs for whom investigators have requested their parliamentary immunity to be lifted have admitted to attending football matches at Anderlecht. Daniel Attard, a Maltese socialist, and Nikola Minchev, a Bulgarian liberal, said they didn't know they'd been invited by Huawei in separate statements. 'I was not made aware that the invitation originated from any company, or that it involved a corporate box,' said Mr Attard, after watching Anderlecht's Europa League clash with Hungarian side Ferencváros in February 2024. 'I was simply informed by my assistant that a friend of his had tickets to the match and asked whether I would be interested in accompanying him and his son,' he added, in the statement published on Facebook. Mr Minchev said his parliamentary assistant told him a 'friend and neighbour' had invited him to watch a fixture against Ludogrets, from his native Bulgaria, in October 2024. Both MEPs have strongly denied any wrongdoing and have not been charged by the authorities. Requests were also lodged for the immunity of Fulvio Martusciello and Salvatore De Meo, two Italians from the centre-right European People's Party, to be lifted. They also have not been charged and deny any wrongdoing. The European Parliament has desperately tried to clamp down on lobbying efforts within its institution after several scandals in recent years. Several high-profile MEPs and former MEPs, including a vice president of the Parliament, were arrested in a probe into the 'Qatargate' scandal, where the Gulf nation was accused of using cash handouts to seek favourable decisions on visas and flight rules. Officials have since restricted the movement of lobbyists inside the Parliament's Brussels and Strasbourg seats in hope of deterring meetings with MEPs. MEPs can technically accept gifts of up to €150 in value but must declare them on a register of interests, meaning there is a fine line between lobbying and entertaining. Huawei and the Belgian prosecutor's office have been approached for comment on the latest allegations involving its box at Anderlecht. A spokesman for the football club said it had 'no intention to renew' its contract with the tech firm, which expires at the end of the season. They also said they had received no prior warning from the Belgian authorities regarding the bugging of the box. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
South China Morning Post
21-05-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
European Parliament names 5 lawmakers targeted in Huawei bribery scandal
The European Parliament has named five of its lawmakers whom Belgian prosecutors have targeted in a bribery scandal investigation involving Chinese technology giant Huawei Technologies Authorities have asked the parliament to waive the lawmakers' immunity so that they can be investigated under the probe, which has been running for two months. They are accused of accepting gifts from Huawei in exchange for lobbying for the firm's interests in the parliament. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Wednesday named the lawmakers as Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard, Bulgarian centrist lawmaker Nikola Minchev and three Italian members from the centre-right European People's Party – Salvatore De Meo, Fulvio Martusciello and Giusi Princi. The parliament's committee on legal affairs will now consider the request from Belgium's federal prosecutor and draft a report. The committee will vote on waiving immunity, after which a final decision will be taken in a vote of all the parliament's 720 members. Huawei has denied any wrongdoing, saying it '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'.
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Lobbying scandal related to Huawei: What we know so far
A major corruption investigation shook the European Parliament in March, focused on allegations that Chinese tech giant Huawei engaged in illicit lobbying practices to sway EU policy in its favour. The probe has led to several arrests and office raids in the Brussels' seat of the Parliament, and provoked as a reaction a temporary ban on Huawei lobbyists. Belgian prosecutors are probing whether Huawei orchestrated a covert influence campaign within the European Parliament. Investigators are examining whether from 2021 Huawei representatives offered bribes to MEPs and their assistants. The corruption 'is said to have been practised regularly and very discreetly, under the guise of commercial lobbying ', according to the Belgian prosecutor, and included remuneration, excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches. These incentives were allegedly aimed at securing favourable political positions on topics of interest to the Chinese company. What has the Belgian prosecutor decided so far? On 13 March Belgian authorities conducted 21 searches across Belgium and Portugal, including raids on Huawei's Brussels headquarters and the offices of some parliamentary assistants. These actions resulted in several arrests and the seizure of documents and electronic devices. Subsequently, eight individuals were charged with offences including corruption, money laundering, and participation in a criminal organisation. Among these, three remain in custody, three are under electronic surveillance, and two were released under conditions, according to the latest information provided by the Belgian prosecutor. The prosecutor has not named any of the suspects, but several media outlets reported the name of Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who is Huawei's EU public affairs director and had been working as assistant to several MEPs in the Parliament. Ottati is considered a central figure in the alleged bribery scheme. He has not replied to Euronews' requests of comment. Abraham Liu, chief representative to the EU Institutions for Huawei is also involved in the case, according to media reports. The Belgian Prosecutor also asked to lift the immunity of five members of the European Parliament, in order to be able to investigate their involvement. Three of them belong to the center-right European People's Party: the Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The others are the Maltese Socialist MEP Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian Renew Europe's MEP Nikola Minchev. Offices of assistants to MEPs Marco Falcone (Italy/EPP) and Nikola Minchev (Bulgaria/Renew Europe) were sealed during the investigation, while in Italy the assistant Lucia Simeone was put under arrest and subsequently released. Italian newspaper La Repubblica has cited a 2021 letter signed by eight MEPs advocating for the continued development of 5G technology in Europe without geopolitical hindrances as germane to the investigation. The letter - promoted by Martusciello's office - did not explicitly mention Huawei, but prosecutors believe it was crafted to promote the company's interests. Investigators allege that payments were made to the letter's author and co-signatories, disguised as consultancy fees and campaign expenses, according to reports. Have the prosecutors given no information on this? Five of the eight MEPs who signed the letter and who are still members of the Parliament, told Euronews that they received no payments from Huawei. The European Parliament immediately suspended Huawei lobbyists from access to its premises, as a precautionary measure. This means that the company's representatives cannot enter Parliament's premises in Brussels, Strasbourg, and Luxembourg. The European Commission also suspended relations with Huawei. 'The Commission shall not meet with any lobby groups and/or trade associations that represent Huawei's interests and/or speak on its behalf," the executive said in a statement. Huawei has stated that it takes the allegations seriously and is committed to cooperating with the investigation, emphasising that the company has a 'zero-tolerance policy toward corruption or other wrongdoing' and is 'committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times'.
