Key facts
- The European Parliament voted to lift the immunity of Italian MEP Fulvio Martusciello.
- The vote allows Belgian authorities to investigate bribery and corruption allegations involving Huawei.
- Martusciello allegedly promoted a letter urging the EU Commission not to ban foreign 5G devices, which prosecutors claim benefited Huawei.
- Belgian police searched Huawei offices in Brussels in March 2025 as part of the probe.
- Immunity was maintained for three other MEPs due to insufficient evidence.
The European Parliament has voted to lift the immunity of Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Fulvio Martusciello, enabling Belgian authorities to proceed with an investigation into alleged bribery and illicit lobbying practices by Chinese tech company Huawei.
In a secret ballot on Tuesday, 344 MEPs voted in favor of waiving Martusciello's immunity, with 234 against and 25 abstentions. Martusciello, a member of the European People's Party (EPP), is accused of promoting a 2021 letter signed by eight MEPs that urged the EU Commission not to ban foreign 5G devices due to national security risks. Prosecutors allege this was an attempt to influence EU policy in favor of Huawei, with a network led by Huawei lobbyist Valerio Ottati purportedly paying MEPs.
Martusciello has denied receiving pressure or payments, stating he may have encountered Ottati at events but never attended them. He claims bank transfers, which prosecutors suggest were bribes, were actually repayments of a loan. An EU Parliament official confirmed Martusciello authored the letter and attempted to gather signatures from colleagues.
Belgian police searched Huawei offices in Brussels and European Parliament premises in March 2025 as part of the probe into alleged bribery to influence EU decision-making. Five individuals were charged, and Belgian authorities had requested the Parliament waive the immunity of five MEPs. However, the Parliament voted to maintain the immunity of three other MEPs—Daniel Attard (Maltese Socialist), Salvatore De Meo (Italian EPP), and Nikola Minchev (Bulgarian Renew Europe)—citing a lack of concrete evidence in the request.