Eight charged with corruption, money laundering, in case linked to Huawei lobbying
(2025/04/08)
- Reference: 1744093934
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/04/08/belgium_arrests_huawei_raid_links/
- Source link:
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 [1]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.
[2]
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.
[3]
[4]
Belgium’s Public Prosecutor’s Office last week [5]revealed charges were laid against eight people connected to the March raids.
The identity of those charged was not revealed, however Politico [6]reports that a few days before the charges were laid Huawei’s European operation fired two staffers and suspended another.
[7]
Huawei told Politico it takes the investigation seriously.
However, the head of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Ville Itälä, [8]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.
[9]London's poor 5G blamed on spectrum, investment, and timing of Huawei ban
[10]The Register gets its claws on Huawei’s bonkers tri-fold phone
[11]Huawei revenue growing fast, suggesting China's scoffing at sanctions
[12]Microsoft invites Chinese software vendors to sell on its marketplace and through its partners
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 [13]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. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/14/brussels_raid_huawei/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.om-mp.be/fr/article/communique-faits-corruption-presumee-au-parlement-europeen-0
[6] https://www.politico.eu/article/huawei-fires-suspends-employees-corruption-probe-lobbying-belgium/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.politico.eu/article/we-needed-something-more-concrete-on-huawei-eu-anti-fraud-chief/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/25/london_poor_5g_research/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/03/ithe_registeri_gets_its_claws/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/09/asia_tech_news_in_brief/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/09/microsoft_invites_chinese_isvs_to_marketplaces/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/salt_typhoon_us_govt_networks/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
The charges follow the March [1]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.
[2]
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.
[3]
[4]
Belgium’s Public Prosecutor’s Office last week [5]revealed charges were laid against eight people connected to the March raids.
The identity of those charged was not revealed, however Politico [6]reports that a few days before the charges were laid Huawei’s European operation fired two staffers and suspended another.
[7]
Huawei told Politico it takes the investigation seriously.
However, the head of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Ville Itälä, [8]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.
[9]London's poor 5G blamed on spectrum, investment, and timing of Huawei ban
[10]The Register gets its claws on Huawei’s bonkers tri-fold phone
[11]Huawei revenue growing fast, suggesting China's scoffing at sanctions
[12]Microsoft invites Chinese software vendors to sell on its marketplace and through its partners
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 [13]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. ®
Get our [14]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/14/brussels_raid_huawei/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.om-mp.be/fr/article/communique-faits-corruption-presumee-au-parlement-europeen-0
[6] https://www.politico.eu/article/huawei-fires-suspends-employees-corruption-probe-lobbying-belgium/
[7] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z_TzqoOb-PiwZXnJL845vQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[8] https://www.politico.eu/article/we-needed-something-more-concrete-on-huawei-eu-anti-fraud-chief/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/25/london_poor_5g_research/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/03/03/ithe_registeri_gets_its_claws/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/09/asia_tech_news_in_brief/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/09/microsoft_invites_chinese_isvs_to_marketplaces/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/salt_typhoon_us_govt_networks/
[14] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
lglethal
As an outsider looking at Chinese culture, it seems like corruption and bribery are a normal accepted, even encouraged, practice.
So it's perhaps not a surprise that they would export that when trying to get deals outside of China.
It's been 13 years since Xi made his famous quote to tackle corruption against both the "Tigers and the Flies" in China, and yet still anytime he needs to take down a political opponent, out come the corruption allegations. But the thing is, there's never any argument that the charges are fake or made up. Just that they are being deployed now, because of politics. It certainly gives the impression that to get ahead you need to a) be corrupt, and b) stay on the right side of those in power.
Still, I hope Europe doesnt start cosying up to China, just because the US is burning it's own house down, and trying to take out the whole neighbourhood alongside it. China has shown it doesnt care about being a good international partner, it only cares about getting ahead on it's own terms.
Anonymous coward for obvious reasons.
This reminds me of the time that Huawei tried to get the cloud business of a biggish group I worked for, mid covid.
All the senior members of the IT group were added to various Huawei WhatsApp groups and messaged constantly.
At one stage the main Huawei guy said to me via whatsapp - we really want to work with you. we hope we can reward you.
pretty much verbatim. Maybe you can debate the semantics of 'reward'. But to me it was pretty obviously bait