The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which is tasked with fighting corruption in European institutions, has decided not to investigate Huawei even though the Belgian authorities found sufficient evidence to do so. Ville Itälä, OLAF’s director, defended this decision by arguing that the tip-off received in 2022 lacked ‘concrete’ elements to initiate an official inquiry. Interestingly, this statement comes amid the crisis over the new scandal, ‘Huaweigate,’ where several MEPs have been arrested on suspicion of receiving bribes from the Chinese tech giant.
The decision is met with skepticism given the current context, where the scandal is quickly escalating and implicating key figures from major political groups in the European Parliament: the European People’s Party (EPP) and the Socialists (S&D). Among those involved are Valerio Ottati, a former parliamentary assistant accused of orchestrating the bribery scheme, and MEP Fulvio Martusciello (EPP), whose assistant, Lucia Simeone, was also arrested for her alleged role.
Belgian investigators revealed illegal payments made to several MEPs who signed a letter to the European Commission in 2021, promoting Huawei’s commercial interests in 5G deployment in Europe. According to the prosecution, the money was channeled through fake invoices and Portuguese bank accounts, amounting to considerable sums, including almost €15,000 promised to the alleged author of the document and €1,500 to each additional signatory.
Itälä insists that, given that OLAF receives more than 4,000 complaints annually, the Huawei case did not meet the minimum evidentiary requirements when initially submitted. However, this justification raises doubts about the institution’s effectiveness and objectivity, especially given recent scandals such as Qatargate and Moroccogate, which involved serious allegations of corruption against socialist MEPs.
Additionally, organisations like Transparency International have stated that OLAF was directly informed about the Huawei case and offered access to further information, raising additional questions about Itälä’s decision. The director’s response, focused on maintaining “calm” and “confidence in the system,” starkly contrasts with the seriousness of the facts currently under investigation by Belgian authorities.
This new episode accentuates the credibility crisis in European institutions. The growing perception of politicization and partiality, recently pointed out by figures such as Marine Le Pen, adds further questions about OLAF’s impartiality and effectiveness. Le Pen publicly denounced that OLAF and the European authorities often act in a selective and politically self-serving manner. Added to this is the frontal criticism of the Chief European Public Prosecutor, Laura Codruța Kövesi, who recently accused OLAF of a lack of effective cooperation with the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
In the meantime, the Belgian investigation is progressing, exposing the internal weaknesses of European anti-corruption mechanisms.
