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Belgian Prosecutors Probe Alleged Corruption in European Parliament

FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
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Belgian Prosecutors Probe Alleged Corruption in European Parliament

FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa
FILED - 20 July 2022, Belgium, Brussels: Flags of the European Union wave in the wind in front of the Berlaymont building of the European Commission in Brussels. Photo: dpa

Belgian prosecutors said on Thursday 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, as well as in Flanders, Wallonia and in Portugal, Reuters reported.
Prosecutors did not disclose names and functions of the people involved and were not available for further comment.
Corruption, forgery and use of false documents is believed to have taken place regularly and "very discreetly" from 2021 to the present day, the prosecutors said.
It happened "under the guise of commercial lobbying and taking various forms, such as remuneration for taking political positions or excessive gifts such as food and travel expenses or regular invitations to football matches," they added.
The prosecutors said several documents and objects had been seized, with the aim to also detect any evidence of money laundering.

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Airstrike in Myanmar Kills Nearly 30 People

This handout photo provided by the Mandalay People's Defense Force shows a firefighter and men douse fire after an airstrike by the ruling military in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township in Mandalay region, Myanmar, Friday, Mar.14, 2025. (Mandalay People's Defence Force via AP)
This handout photo provided by the Mandalay People's Defense Force shows a firefighter and men douse fire after an airstrike by the ruling military in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township in Mandalay region, Myanmar, Friday, Mar.14, 2025. (Mandalay People's Defence Force via AP)
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Airstrike in Myanmar Kills Nearly 30 People

This handout photo provided by the Mandalay People's Defense Force shows a firefighter and men douse fire after an airstrike by the ruling military in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township in Mandalay region, Myanmar, Friday, Mar.14, 2025. (Mandalay People's Defence Force via AP)
This handout photo provided by the Mandalay People's Defense Force shows a firefighter and men douse fire after an airstrike by the ruling military in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township in Mandalay region, Myanmar, Friday, Mar.14, 2025. (Mandalay People's Defence Force via AP)

An airstrike by Myanmar’s military on a central village under the control of a pro-democracy resistance group has killed at least 27 civilians and injured 30 others, an opposition group and Myanmar’s online media said Saturday.
The attack occurred Friday at 3 p.m. in Let Pan Hla village in Singu township, about 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, a spokesperson for the Mandalay People’s Defense Force said.
The military did not comment on Saturday, The Associated Press said.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb. 1, 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
The military government has stepped up airstrikes against the armed pro-democracy People's Defense Force and ethnic minority guerrilla groups that have been fighting for greater autonomy for decades. The two groups sometimes carry out joint operations against the army. The resistance forces have no defense against air attacks.
The town of Singu was seized by the Mandalay People’s Defense Force (MDY-PDF), which supports Myanmar’s main opposition, in July last year.
The group's statement released Saturday on its Telegram social media channel said six children were among the 27 killed in the airstrike that targeted crowded market stalls in Let Pan Hla village.
Osmond, the group's spokesperson, told The Associated Press that about 10 houses near the village market were destroyed by bombs.
“This airstrike was not aimed at a military target, but rather at the market area, where civilians visit daily,” Osmond said in a message.
The situation in the village could not be independently confirmed, with access to the internet and cellphone service in the area mostly cut off.
The independent Myanmar Now online media reported that the death toll from the airstrike that hit a tea shop near the village market had reached 30 and seven were in critical condition.
A report issued last month by Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, a Myanmar research and advocacy organization, said that since the military’s 2021 takeover, 2,224 civilian had been killed and 3,466 wounded in 4,157 airstrikes.