Police raid EPP Brussels headquarters in connection with bribery probe

Belgian and German police raided the European People Party’s Brussels headquarters on Tuesday.

The visit is connected to an ongoing inquiry in Thuringia, Germany, the EPP said in a statement.

“The party is cooperating in full transparency with the authorities involved, providing all relevant information and documentation,” the EPP said.

German outlet Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk reported that the raid is connected to Mario Voigt, leader of Germany’s centre-right Christian Democrats in the parliament group of the state of Thuringia, and his involvement in the EPP’s 2019 election campaign.

According to the report, he was recruited to support the EPP’s digital campaign in 2019. According to reports, the group then awarded a contract to an internet agency based in Voigt’s home state Thuringia, from which he is suspected of having received money later on.

Voigt has been under investigation by German anti-corruption officers since September 2022 on suspicion of bribery in business dealings.

“As this is an ongoing legal investigation, the EPP will not provide any further comment,” the EPP said.