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.

The European Parliament has banned Huawei lobbyists from entering its buildings, a spokesperson for the parliament said on Friday, as authorities probe suspected bribery that could have helped the Chinese tech giant.