European Parliament to deliberate waiving of immunity for five MEPs in Huawei probe

Maltese Labour MEP Daniel Attard is one of five MEPs, Belgian prosecutors want to investigate as part of a sprawling probe into suspected bribery by Huawei.

Attard had publicly announced on his Facebook page that he was the subject of an investigation on Tuesday, when he was informed of the request to have his immunity waived.

On Wednesday, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola formally announced in the plenary that Belgian authorities had requested the parliament to waive immunity of five MEPs.

Apart from Attard, who forms part of the centre-left socialist group, Metsola also named three MEPs who belong to the centre-right European People’s Party: Italians Salvatore De Meo, Giusi Princi and Fulvio Martusciello. The fifth MEP is Bulgarian Nikola Minchev from Renew Europe.

The request by the Belgian prosecutors relates to the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption and illicit lobbying practices involving Chinese company Huawei and some EU lawmakers and assistants.

Attard has claimed his involvement is linked to a football match that he was invited to attend by his assistant last September.

“I was not made aware that the invitation originated from any company, or that it involved a corporate box. I was simply informed by my assistant that a friend of his had tickets to the match [...] It has since emerged that the invitation came from a person who is currently under investigation by the Belgian authorities and who intended to speak to me about Huawei during the match,” the Maltese MEP said in his statement.

Attard admitted that the topic was briefly raised during the game and a meeting was subsequently requested. This meeting took place two weeks later in Strasbourg.

Attard also said that he has not communicated with the company since, and took “no action” in relation to it or matters related to the company.

Attard wrote to Metsola to ask that his immunity be waived, adding he was willing to cooperate with investigators.

The MEPs have denied any wrongdoing.

Each request for waiver will be now be assigned to a rapporteur on the European Parliament Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI), whose next meeting is expected on 4-5 June.

The JURI Committee will prepare a report approving or rejecting the request by the Belgian prosecutor, while each MEP concerned will be given an opportunity to be heard. The MEPs could also present any documents or other written evidence.

It is parliament’s plenary that will have the final say whether to lift or not the MEPs’ immunity with a vote by simple majority.