Huawei has terminated the employment of two individuals and placed a third on suspension due to their suspected participation in a bribery investigation linked to the Chinese technology company and the European Parliament.
A Huawei spokesperson did not disclose the identities or roles of the employees affected by the measures.
Last week, a lobbyist, a senior executive, and a procurement manager from Huawei were among the suspects who made their first appearance before Belgian judges as part of the procedural hearings in the corruption case.
They were preliminarily charged with corruption, participation in a criminal organisation, and money laundering.
The Belgian prosecutor’s office said it has charged eight people in total.
The prosecutors are investigating whether the Chinese tech giant bribed eight MEPs in 2021 to obtain an open letter of support related to 5G technology. Six of the MEPs belong to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s centre-right EPP group and two to the socialist S&D group.Despite the seriousness of the case, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) has decided not to launch its own investigation.
