Latest news with #ValerioOttati
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'.
Nahar Net
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Nahar Net
Belgian prosecutors make arrests in corruption probe linked to EU Parliament
by Naharnet Newsdesk 7 hours Belgian federal prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested several individuals as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers. Some 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal, the federal prosecutor's office said. The suspects were arrested for questioning in "connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries," prosecutors said. "The offences were allegedly committed by a criminal organization." According to an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media, lobbyists working for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei are suspected of bribing current or former MEPs to promote the company's commercial policy in Europe. Huawei public relations representatives in London did not respond to an emailed request for comment and could not be reached by phone. A European Parliament spokesperson said only that the assembly "takes note of the information. When requested, it always cooperates fully with the judicial authorities." The federal prosecutor's office, which did not name Huawei, said that corruption is believed to have been practiced "regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day, and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches." Prosecutors believe that payments might have been disguised as business expenses and in some cases may have been directed to third parties. "From this point of view, the investigation also aims to detect any evidence of money laundering," they said. Police seized several documents and objects during the searches. Staff at Huawei's offices in Brussels declined to speak to an AP reporter. They turned the lights off inside when he started taking pictures through the window. This is the second corruption case targeting the EU Parliament in less than three years. In December 2022, the legislature was left reeling after a corruption scandal in which Qatari officials accused of bribing EU officials to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup. The scandal scarred the reputation of the EU's only institution comprised of officials elected directly in the 27 member countries. It undermined the assembly's claim to the moral high ground in its own investigations, such as into allegations of corruption in member country Hungary. The impact of the scandal is still being felt, with the parliament due to rule soon on whether to lift the immunity of two more lawmakers who were implicated According to Follow The Money, an investigative journalism platform, one of the main suspects in the latest probe is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who joined Huawei in 2019. Before becoming Huawei's EU Public Affairs Director, Ottati was an assistant to two Italian MEPs who were both members of a European Parliament group dealing with China policy, Follow the Money reported.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Belgian prosecutors make arrests in a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament
BRUSSELS (AP) — Belgian federal prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested several individuals as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers. Some 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal, the federal prosecutor's office said. The suspects were arrested for questioning in 'connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries,' prosecutors said. 'The offences were allegedly committed by a criminal organization.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. According to an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media, lobbyists working for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei are suspected of bribing current or former MEPs to promote the company's commercial policy in Europe. Huawei did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The federal prosecutor's office, which did not name Huawei, said that corruption is believed to have been practiced 'regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day, and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches." Police seized several documents and objects during the searches. This is the second corruption case targeting the EU Parliament in less than three years. In December 2022, the legislature was left reeling after a corruption scandal in which Qatari officials accused of bribing EU officials to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup. The scandal scarred the reputation of the EU's only institution comprised of officials elected directly in the 27 member countries. It undermined the assembly's claim to the moral high ground in its own investigations, such as into allegations of corruption in member country Hungary. The impact of the scandal is still being felt, with the parliament due to rule soon on whether to lift the immunity of two more lawmakers who were implicated According to Follow The Money, an investigative journalism platform, one of the main suspects in the latest probe is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who joined Huawei in 2019. Before becoming Huawei's EU Public Affairs Director, Ottati was an assistant to two Italian MEPs who were both members of a European Parliament group dealing with China policy, Follow the Money reported.
The Independent
13-03-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Belgian prosecutors make arrests in a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament
Belgian federal prosecutors said Thursday they have arrested several individuals as part of a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU lawmakers. Some 100 federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and Portugal, the federal prosecutor's office said. The suspects were arrested for questioning in 'connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries,' prosecutors said. 'The offences were allegedly committed by a criminal organization.' According to an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media, lobbyists working for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei are suspected of bribing current or former MEPs to promote the company's commercial policy in Europe. The federal prosecutor's office, which did not name Huawei, said that corruption is believed to have been practiced 'regularly and very discreetly from 2021 to the present day, and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches." Police seized several documents and objects during the searches. This is the second corruption case targeting the EU Parliament in less than three years. In December 2022, the legislature was left reeling after a corruption scandal in which Qatari officials accused of bribing EU officials to play down labor rights concerns ahead of the soccer World Cup. The scandal scarred the reputation of the EU's only institution comprised of officials elected directly in the 27 member countries. It undermined the assembly's claim to the moral high ground in its own investigations, such as into allegations of corruption in member country Hungary. The impact of the scandal is still being felt, with the parliament due to rule soon on whether to lift the immunity of two more lawmakers who were implicated According to Follow The Money, an investigative journalism platform, one of the main suspects in the latest probe is 41-year-old Valerio Ottati, a Belgian-Italian lobbyist who joined Huawei in 2019. Before becoming Huawei's EU Public Affairs Director, Ottati was an assistant to two Italian MEPs who were both members of a European Parliament group dealing with China policy, Follow the Money reported.
Euronews
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
Belgian police search Huawei offices in EU Parliament corruption probe
According to reports, the Chinese tech giant might have bribed former or current MEPs in Brussels. There have been no searches at the European Parliament so far. ADVERTISEMENT Belgian police searched the Brussels headquarters of Chinese tech company Huawei and several homes in the country in a fresh corruption probe, reports say. The information was revealed by investigative website Follow the Money, together with two other Belgian newspapers, Le Soir and Knack. According to those reports, the lobbyists of the Chinese tech giant paid bribes to MEPs to influence EU decision-making. Sources told the newspapers that around 15 current and former MEPs might be involved in the case. Police searched 21 homes this morning as a part of a covert operation. They sought evidence of possible crime, including bribery, forgery, money laundering and criminal organisation. The authorities also confiscated documents and electronic devices, according to reports. No searches at European Parliament so ar According to the information published Thursday morning, a 41-year-old lobbyist, Valerio Ottati, is at the centre of the ongoing investigation. He joined the Chinese company six years ago. Before that, he worked for Italian MEPs involved in the parliament's China dossiers. If the investigation concerns current members of the European Parliament, the Belgian authorities will ask the Parliament to waive their immunity. "The European Parliament takes note of the information. When requested, it always cooperates fully with the judicial authorities," a spokesperson of the European Parliament said. Euronews understands that so far, there have been no searches on the premises of the Parliament, and the Belgian prosecutors have not sent any requests yet to waive any immunity. Nevertheless, the new scandal might be disastrous for the reputation of he institution. The European Parliament strengthened its ethics and transparency rules after the so-called Qatargate scandal. The members of the corruption network — with MEPs involved — discovered in 2022 accepted cash and other benefits from the Gulf state in exchange for influencing EU decisions. Since then, far-right and Eurosceptic politicians have commonly mentioned the case to paint the Parliament and EU as corrupt. Euronews has reached out to Huawei for comment.
