Huawei Ties in Poland: Is the Telco Giant a Safe Business Partner?

People walk past a sign board of Huawei at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) Asia 2018 in Shanghai, China on June 14, 2018. Aly Song/Reuters

Polish authorities arrested the sales director of Huawei’s Polish branch, Weijing W., and a former security official, Piotr D., on Jan. 8 and charged them with espionage. The two men will be held for three months and they could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

Poland is a strategic country in the Central-East European market for Huawei and the gateway for further expansion into Europe. The arrest of Weijing W. is a blow to the company’s image.

Who Are the Two Men Accused of Spying?

Piotr D. held prominent roles in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration (MIAA), Internal Security Agency and the Office of Electronic Communications. Recently, he was working for Orange, one of the biggest telecommunication companies in Poland.