The Belgian police raided the European People’s Party (EPP) headquarters in Brussels on Tuesday, Euractiv reports. According to initial information, police seized computers linked to financial fraud that is believed to involve EPP staff.
German media have reported that the investigation is not targeting the party or its current staff, but Mario Voigt, the regional leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party in Thuringia, who is suspected of corruption and bribery.
Police did not give details of the purpose of the raid.
“The raid is related to an ongoing investigation in Thuringia, Germany,” an EPP spokesman said in a brief press release. He added that “the party is cooperating with the authorities concerned in full transparency and will provide all relevant information and documents.”
[pp id=71962]
Voigt worked for the EPP in the 2019 election cycle.
Investigators are understood to be attempting to establish how much money Voigt may have received or handled during that time. They are also looking for documents related to employment contracts and talking to witnesses in Brussels, German media reported.
According to Euractiv, Voigt was Manfred Weber’s digital campaign manager during the 2019 European election campaign, and the police investigation is focused on the contracts awarded during that time. Weber succeeded Donald Tusk as EPP leader in 2022.
