BRUSSELS ― The Belgian prosecutor has charged eight people with active corruption, money laundering and criminal organization in an investigation into Huawei’s lobbying activities in Europe, it said in a statement on Friday.
The decision comes three weeks after police raids in Belgium and Portugal, as part of a probe into suspected illegal payments by the Chinese technology giant to secure support from European lawmakers in the company’s interests. Police authorities also searched European Parliament offices in Strasbourg.
Out of the eight suspects in the case, three were initially held in pre-trial detention and are now under electronic surveillance following appeals, according to the statement from the prosecutor. Two others were released “under conditions,” it said. The remaining three are still in prison — two are appealing, while the third may still do so.
Huawei said in an earlier statement that it “takes these allegations seriously” and “has a zero tolerance policy towards corruption or other wrongdoing.”
Elisa Braun contributed to this report.
