Several individuals have been arrested as part of a corruption investigation linked to the European Parliament, Belgian federal prosecutors have said.
The arrests come amid reports in local media that Chinese company Huawei bribed EU politicians.
Federal police officers carried out 21 searches in Brussels as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and in Portugal, the federal prosecutor’s office said.
The suspects were arrested for questioning in “connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries”, prosecutors said.
“The offences were allegedly committed by a criminal organisation.”
According to an investigation by Le Soir newspaper and other media, lobbyists working for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei are suspected of bribing current or former MEPs to promote the company’s commercial policy in Europe.