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1 month ago | 
ftm.nl | Alexander Fanta |Simon Van Dorpe
Tien dagen geleden deed de Belgische politie invallen in de huizen en kantoren van diverse lobbyisten en parlementair assistenten. Zij worden verdacht van betrokkenheid bij het omkopen van circa vijftien leden van het Europees Parlement, die geld en geschenken kregen in ruil voor politieke steun. Een belangrijke verdachte is Valerio Ottati; hij was eerder parlementair assistent en werkt nu als lobbyist. Hij wordt ervan beschuldigd de operatie te hebben georkestreerd.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.eu | Alexander Fanta |Simon Van Dorpe
Ten days ago, Belgian police raided the homes and offices of several lobbyists and parliamentary assistants suspected of involvement in bribing up to 15 members of the European Parliament (MEPs). A key suspect is parliamentary assistant-turned-lobbyist Valerio Ottati, who is accused of orchestrating the operation, which involved handing gifts and cash to politicians in exchange for political support.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.eu | Simon Van Dorpe |Alexander Fanta |Lisanne van Vucht
In the early hours of last Thursday, Belgium’s federal police raided Huawei’s EU office and the homes of lobbyists for the Chinese tech company on suspicions of bribery, forgery, money laundering and criminal organisation. Authorities suspect that Huawei lobbyists paid bribes to MEPs in return for backing their cause in the European Union, Follow the Money, Le Soir and Knack reported.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.eu | Simon Van Dorpe |Alexander Fanta |Lisanne van Vucht
Huawei has been accused in the past of unethical lobbying, and of having links to the Chinese government that could enable Beijing to spy on Western nations. In June 2021, an ex-Huawei employee went on trial accused of using the company as cover to spy for China. A few years later, in October 2024, accusations of a conflict of interest against Polish ex-deputy minister Jacek Tomczak caused political turmoil again.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.eu | Alexander Fanta |Simon Van Dorpe
Authorities suspect that Huawei lobbyists have paid bribes to MEPs in return for backing their cause in the European Union. Around 15 former and current MEPs are “on the radar” of the investigators. In the early hours, Belgium’s federal police raided Huawei’s EU office and the homes of lobbyists for the Chinese tech company on suspicions of bribery, forgery, money laundering and criminal organisation, people close to the investigation told Follow the Money and Belgian outlets Le Soir and Knack.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.nl | Simon Van Dorpe |Alexander Fanta
In alle vroegte deed de Belgische federale politie huiszoekingen bij lobbyisten van Huawei in verband met een onderzoek naar omkoping, witwassen van geld, valsheid in geschrifte en deelname aan een criminele organisatie, bevestigt het openbaar ministerie aan Follow the Money en de Belgische media Le Soir en Knack. Dit onderzoek ging meer dan twee jaar geleden van start na een tip van de Belgische inlichtingendienst. In totaal zijn 21 adressen doorzocht in België en Portugal.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.nl | Alexander Fanta |Simon Van Dorpe |Lisanne van Vucht
Wat is het nieuws? Het Europees Parlement staat opnieuw centraal in een onderzoek naar corruptie. Donderdagochtend zijn op meerdere adressen huiszoekingen gedaan door de Belgische politie. Lobbyisten van het Chinese techbedrijf zouden Europarlementariërs hebben omgekocht voor een goed woordje voor Huawei’s belangen op de Europese markt. Het politieonderzoek begon ongeveer twee jaar geleden na een tip van de Belgische inlichtingendienst.
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1 month ago | 
ftm.eu | Alexander Fanta |Simon Van Dorpe |Lisanne van Vucht
What is this story about? Huawei lobbyists in Brussels have allegedly bribed members of the European Parliament. Belgian police raided 21 addresses linked to the corruption probe this morning, people close to the investigation told Follow the Money and Belgian outlets Le Soir and Knack. The Belgian investigation, codenamed “Generation”, has been ongoing for over two years after a tip-off from Belgian intelligence.
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Nov 15, 2024 | 
ftm.eu | Alexander Fanta
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen texted with pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in talks about a billion-dollar vaccine deal, the EU executive admitted in a court hearing on Friday, but didn’t archive them as her office didn’t consider them important enough. However, it is unclear whether the messages that allegedly helped to seal one of the EU’s biggest public procurement deals in history still exist on von der Leyen’s phone.
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Nov 11, 2024 | 
ftm.eu | Alexander Fanta
The controversy over European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s text messages with the chief executive of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer will be aired this week at the EU court in Luxemburg. Here is how the legal struggle over transparency could play out. Some of the European Union’s highest judges are set to quiz the EU executive on Fridayin a hearing on a controversy surrounding apparently deleted text messages that has riled Brussels for years.
