Federica Mogherini, who led the College of Europe graduate school that teaches a training program for junior EU diplomats from 2014 to 2019, was detained on Tuesday by Belgian police in Brussels, according to Belgian broadcaster VRT, Belga, and Euractiv. She is currently the head of the College of Europe graduate school.
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Police conducted the arrests on the European External Action Service’s diplomatic wing’s Brussels campus and the College of Europe’s campus in Brussels, Belgium.
The searches were announced by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), who said three suspects, who were not identified, had been detained. According to the statement, there was “fraud suspected in connection with EU-funded training for junior diplomats.”
According to a report from the Belgian and French media, Stefano Sannino, a senior EU official who served as EEAS secretary-general from 2021 to 2024, was also detained.
According to the prosecution, the searches were carried out by Belgian federal police at the EPPO’s request and also targeted suspects’ homes.
The European Union Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month training program for junior diplomats across EU states, is at issue, according to the EPPO.
The investigation focuses on whether the tender process was biased in favor of the College of Europe in Belgium during the years 2021-2022.
The College of Europe and the EU Diplomatic Academy are led by Mogherini.
According to the EPPO statement, “there are strong suspicions that one of the candidates participating in the tender shared any confidential information regarding the ongoing procurement.”
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The European Commission confirmed the raids and stated that an “ongoing investigation” was being conducted.
According to a commission spokesman, Anitta Hipper, “we can confirm that the police were present at the EEAS buildings today,” adding that this is a part of the ongoing investigation into the activities that occurred prior to the commission’s previous mandate.
High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, Mogherini’s replacement, Josep Borrell, took over the position a year ago.
Prior to the searches, the EPPO claimed to have requested and obtained the removal of several suspects’ immunity.
The prosecutor’s office said the allegations “could be constituted procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy” if confirmed.
The investigation is being conducted to determine whether any criminal offenses have occurred, it continued.
The EPPO is the EU’s independent public prosecutor, which is charged with prosecuting illegal activities against the bloc’s financial interests.
