Box rented to make contacts and « lubricate » politicians: Loge of Huawei Listen to Stadium Anderlecht
Surveillance, confirmed to Poloo by three people « with close knowledge of the investigation », was part of an extensive investigation into accusations of corruption that came to light for the first time in March. The security agents would also have interviewed conversations in the car of an important lobbyist from Huawei.
The results of the investigation would have contributed to the decision of the Belgian court to demand that the immunity of a group of MEPs was abolished so that they could be further investigated.
50,000 euros
In the 2024-2025 season, Huawei acquired a private lodge for around 50,000 euros in the Anderlecht stadium. During the season, the European clubs Fenerbahçe, Porto and Real Sociedad, among others, visited the Lotto Park.
Read too. Representatives Huawei banned from the European Parliament after corruption complaints
According to insiders, it was investigated whether renting the lodge was part of a broader plan of lobbyists from Huawei to improve the position of the company in EU policy formation. The incidents that are being investigated are the period from 2021 to the end of 2024.
At the time of the original accusations, the Belgian prosecutors indicated that they were investigating possible cases of bribery, in which MPs would have been paid for taking political positions, in exchange for excessive gifts, paid journeys and invitations for events.
« Smear »
The reports of the conversations show that the company rented the box to make a first contact with the politicians and then to try them to « lubricate », one of the sources to Poloo. A lobbyist would have succeeded in luring some newly elected Members of Members to the Lodge by first inviting their assistants. Subsequently, the MPs, from various political groups, were invited themselves.
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According to Polico, the police still ran into more than twenty locations in Belgium and Portugal in March, as part of the investigation into alleged illegal payments by Huawei. Five people were sued in the context of the investigation, prosecutors reported on March 18.
Two members of the European Parliament of whom the Belgian authorities have abolished immunity, the Maltese socialist Daniel Attard and the Bulgarian liberal Nikola Minchev, admitted that they were present at Matches of Anderlecht and said in their statements that they were not invited by Huawei. The Belgian authorities have also requested the European Parliament to lift the immunity of two other members, the center -right Italians Fulvio Martusciello and Salvatore de Meo.
The Belgian prosecutor and Huawei have not responded to the requests for comments from Politico.
After previous similar scandals, this revelation is a new chapter in the Saga concerning the concerns about Chinese influence on European politics and the extent to which European legislators are susceptible to bribery and dark lobby practices.
Response Anderlecht
“RSC Anderlecht have no intention of the contract with Huawei (that ends at the end of this season, ed.) to extend, « said the club’s spokesperson. He added that » we did not receive an official request from the Belgian authorities « to spy on the box or to participate in the investigation.
