Published on
21/05/2025 – 4:47 GMT+2

Belgian authorities have formally requested the European Parliament to revoke the immunity of five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) in connection with an investigation into corruption and influence peddling associated with the Chinese technology company Huawei.

The request pertains to five MEPs, three affiliated with the European People’s Party (EPP), one representing the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), and one from Renew Europe.

A probe into the allegations commenced two months ago following searches carried out in the offices of the European Parliament.

The Belgian Prosecutor’s Office has filed charges against eight individuals, alleging suspicions of money laundering, involvement in an organised criminal enterprise, and active corruption.

The accusations against the MEPs pertain to their involvement in corrupt practices in return for lobbying efforts on behalf of Huawei and endorsing legislation advantageous to the company.

The request to revoke immunity has been confirmed by a few EU officials. While the full list of MEPs involved in the scandal has yet to be released, a number of the parliamentarians came forward and confirmed that a request to revoke their immunity was filed.

Italian lawmaker Salvatore de Meo of the EPP, Maltese MEP Daniel Attard of the Socialists and Bulgarian parliamentarian Nikola Minchev of Renew Europe have all confirmed they were targeted by Belgian authorities.

“This is related to the investigation into my former assistant. The Belgian prosecution has not made any specific accusations against me, but wants to check whether anything improper may have taken place,” said Minchev.

Minchev says that he attended a football match of which the tickets were sourced by an individual affiliated with his former assistant, who had links with Huawei. The Bulgarian lawmaker denied any knowledge of who provided the tickets.

“The Belgian authorities want to verify whether anything inappropriate occurred. That’s why I’m calling for my immunity to be lifted as quickly as possible, so the matter can be clarified and it becomes clear that I have nothing to do with any unauthorised or illegal activity.”

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is expected to officially announce the full list of MEPs involved in the scandal in the opening of a plenary session on Wednesday.

Additional sources • EBU

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Billionaire Elon Musk said Tuesday he’s committed to being CEO of Tesla in five years’ time as the automaker faced intense consumer and stockprice pressure over his work with President Donald Trump’s government.

The question came as Musk made a video appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum hosted by Bloomberg after Musk recently traveled to Doha as part of Trump’s Mideast trip last week.

A moderator asked: “Do you see yourself and are you committed to still being the chief executive of Tesla in five years’ time?”

Musk responded: “Yes.”

The moderator pushed further: “No doubt about that at all?”

Musk added, chuckling: “I can’t be still here if I’m dead.”

Tesla has faced intense pressure as Musk worked with Trump as part of its self-described Department of Government Efficiency effort, particularly amid its campaign of cuts across the U.S. federal government.

FIRST ON FOX: In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital at the annual Jerusalem Post Conference in New York, Special Envoy for Hostage Response Adam Boehler responded to a Washington Post report that claimed President Donald Trump threatened to abandon Israel unless the war ended as “fake news.” 

“That sounds like fake news to me,” he said. “I think the president has maintained a very high degree of support for Israel.” He added, “He may be saying, ‘Hey, listen, let’s try to end the war,’ he might speak strongly, but I think American president, in particular, this president’s support, President Trump’s support for Israel is ironclad.”

Separately, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee also rejected the claim. In an interview with Israel’s Ynet, he said, “Their reporting is nonsense. They need to listen to what the President says – not what some uninformed ‘source’ pretends to know.’”

ISRAELI AMBASSADOR LASHES OUT AT UN OFFICIAL, CONDEMNS UK, FRANCE, CANADA STATEMENT ON AID

Boehler emphasized that the U.S. government’s primary focus remains on securing the release of the 58 hostages still held by Hamas. “I think there’s obviously continued back and forth. The President made it very clear that he wants something to come to conclusion.”

“I know that he and Steve [Witkoff] are working very hard right now to try to bring that home. So, a very fluid situation, but our primary focus is number one, the hostages, and number two, Israel’s security,” he said.

On the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Boehler addressed the recent development of opening borders to allow aid trucks into Gaza after two months of a blockade. He also discussed the new U.S.-backed mechanism that could potentially replace the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). 

“Perhaps there needs to be a replacement for UNRWA. We’ve had a lot of issues with the U.N. And if this works, if it gets food to the Palestinian people who need it, then I greatly favor it,” Boehler said.

Later, in an interview on stage at the Jerusalem Post conference, Boehler recalled the tense moments surrounding the release of American-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander. “It’s an unbelievable moment. It was an unbelievable moment on Sunday. The whole time, we couldn’t sleep. It was exciting, nerve-wracking. We watched pretty much real-time. We were waiting for Steve Witkoff to come. We were waiting the whole time for the Red Cross. When the helicopter landed, we saw it on TV. That first phone call was unbelievable. It was right on Mother’s Day when we went over. It had a lot of meaning — for me, Steve, and everybody.”

ISRAEL TURNS TABLES ON UN OFFICIAL CLAIMING ‘GENOCIDE’ IN GAZA WITH BASIC QUESTIONS

U.S. Special Envoy Adam Boehler and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff met with the families of hostages for nearly two hours in Tel Aviv on Tuesday. (Paulina Patimer)

As for the timeframe for the hostage deal, Boehler expressed cautious optimism: “I think it’s getting closer and closer to making a deal here. If Hamas wants to come forward and make a legitimate offer, they’re willing to stand by and release hostages, we’re always open to that.” 

He also credited the recent Israeli ground operations for increasing pressure on Hamas, saying, “I do think we’re closer than we ever were. Part of that is because of the movement of Israel and the IDF on the ground.”

Finally, addressing the recent joint statement from the leaders of the United Kingdom, France and Canada, which condemned Israel’s military operations in Gaza and called for an immediate ceasefire, Boehler responded firmly. “The United States has always been a fervent supporter of Israel. If I were a European country, I’d be particularly sensitive in how I criticize Israel.”