Authorities said the supposed perpetrators resorted to payments, food and travel gifts, and invitations to watch soccer matches in exchange for favorable political decisions that would promote private commercial interests.

BRUSSELS (Reuters) -Belgian prosecutors said on Thursday they had detained several individuals over suspected bribery in the European Parliament allegedly for the benefit of China's Huawei. Belgian investigators carried out searches of 21 premises across Belgium and in Portugal on Thursday morning.

Belgian police have raided several locations in the country as part of an investigation into corruption within the European Parliament. Prosecutors said the alleged corruption was "under the guise of commercial lobbying", and that several people had been detained for questioning.