Several people were on Thursday arrested in a nationwide sweep in Belgium as part of a corruption probe in which Chinese tech giant Huawei was reported to be suspected of having bribed lawmakers in

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.

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 (HWT.UL).

Prosecutors said suspects were arrested for questioning in “connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament, as well as for forgery and use of forgeries.”

Belgian authorities spearheaded a series of raids across Belgium, Portugal, and France in a corruption investigation, targeting alleged bribery involving Huawei and European Parliament members.

Belgian prosecutors on Thursday said several individuals had been arrested for questioning in connection with their alleged involvement in active corruption within the European Parliament. The prosecutors said 21 searches were carried out by the Federal Police in the Brussels region,

The European Parliament says he lobbyists working for Huawei have been suspended from entering its premises following the arrests of several people in a corruption probe linked to the European Parliament and the Chinese company.

Belgian police have raided the offices of Huawei as part of a sprawling probe into alleged corruption involving members of the European parliament. An official briefed on the investigation told the Financial Times the Chinese technology company was the target of the probe initiated by Belgian intelligence services.