It’s published
Belgian authorities formally requested the European Parliament to revoke the exemption for five members of the European Parliament (MEPS) in connection with an investigation into corruption and impact peddlers related to Chinese technology company Huawei.
The request comes from five MEPs, three MEPs belonging to the European People’s Party (EPP), one representing the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the other from Renew Europe.
An investigation into the allegations began two months ago after a search conducted at the office of the European Parliament.
The Belgian prosecutor’s office has filed accusations against eight individuals, alleging money laundering, involvement in organized criminal enterprises and arguing for aggressive corruption.
The charges against MEPS have been linked to efforts on Huawei’s behalf of efforts and involvement in corrupt practices in favor of laws that are beneficial to the company.
Requests to revoke the immunity have been confirmed by a small number of EU officials. The full list of MEPs involved in the scandal has not yet been released, but many Congresses have made progress and confirmed that requests have been filed to revoke their immunity.
Italian MP Salvatore De Meo for the EPP, Maltese MEP socialist Daniel Attado and Bulgarian MP Nikola Minchev confirmed they are targeted by Belgian authorities.
“This is related to the investigation of my previous assistant. The Belgian prosecutor has not filed any specific charges against me, but I would like to see if there is a possibility that something inappropriate has happened,” Minchev said.
Minchev says he attended a football game. In this match, tickets were sourced by an individual affiliated with a former assistant who had connections with Huaway. Bulgarian lawmakers denied knowledge of who provided the ticket.
“The Belgian authorities want to see if something inappropriate has happened. So, I am asking for my immunity to be lifted as soon as possible, so I can clarify the issue and make it clear that it has nothing to do with fraudulent or illegal activities.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metosola will formally release the full list of MEPs involved in the scandal at the opening of a general official session held on Wednesday.
Additional sources •EBU
