Belgian intelligence agencies have installed wiretapping in the corporate box of the Anderlecht football club stadium. Chinese tech giant Huawei used it to establish contacts with members of the European Parliament and promote its trade policy.
This is reported by Politico.
The intelligence officers also listened in on other conversations of a top Huawei lobbyist, including in his car. The measures are part of a larger investigation into alleged corruption that first became known in March. Politico’s sources told the newspaper that prosecutors will seek to lift the immunity of a group of MEPs to conduct the investigation.
Huawei has rented a private box at Anderlechtʼs home stadium, Lotto Park in Brussels, for around €50 000 for the 2024-2025 season. During that period, the club has hosted European giants such as Fenerbahce, Porto and Real Sociedad, according to a spokesman for the Belgian club.
Huawei is believed to have rented the box to establish initial contacts with politicians and, according to the source, to "appease" them. The lobbyist managed to invite newly elected MPs to the box, first inviting their assistants. Later, representatives of various political factions, former MPs and other EU officials also received invitations, say anonymous sources.
FC Anderlecht has no plans to renew its contract with Huawei after the season, a club spokesman stressed. He added that they have “not received any official requests from the Belgian authorities” to assist in surveillance or cooperate in the investigation.
The two politicians whose immunity the Belgian authorities are asking to be lifted are Maltese socialist Daniel Attard and Bulgarian liberal Nikola Minchev. They confirmed that they attended Anderlecht matches. However, they claim that they were unaware that Huawei had invited them.
The Brussels authorities asked the parliament to lift the immunity of two more deputies, Italian centrists Fulvio Martusiello and Salvatore De Meo. The third request concerned another Italian deputy Giuse Principe, but it was withdrawn.
None of the MEPs have been formally charged, and all deny any wrongdoing. Requesting to waive immunity does not mean that a person has broken the law. In the Belgian legal system, it is a necessary procedure so that the police can summon the MEP for questioning and conduct a full investigation.
The line between lobbying and corruption is very thin, writes Politico. The thing is that MEPs can accept gifts, but if their value exceeds €150, they are obliged to declare them.
- Searches in the European Parliament corruption case in favor of Huawei were conducted not only in Belgium but also in Portugal on March 13. The Belgian newspaper Le Soir wrote that MEPs could have been bribed, including with Huawei smartphones.
- The following day, March 14, the European Parliament and the European Commission blacklisted Huawei lobbyists, banning them from entering their institutions. In addition, the offices of European Commissioners and all departments were ordered to immediately suspend contacts and meetings with Huawei.
- A Huawei spokesperson stated that the company “has a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption and other wrongdoing and is committed to complying with all applicable laws and regulations at all times.”
- On March 18, Belgian prosecutors filed the first charges of corruption and participation in a criminal organization.
- At the end of March, law enforcement officers searched two offices of several political assistants from the EP in Strasbourg, France, as part of this case.
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