Belgian police have raided the EU's diplomatic service, the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, and the College of Europe in Bruges, a training college, as part of a probe into suspected fraud, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said.
Three suspects were detained on Tuesday as part of an investigation into suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, the prosecutors said.
Among them was former Vice President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini.
Mogherini, who was the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019, now leads the College of Europe graduate school, whose premises were searched.
The 52-year-old Italian was arrested in Brussels along with the training school's deputy head and Stefano Sannino, a senior EU official who was EEAS secretary general from 2021 to 2024, according to a source close to the matter.
The EU's current top diplomat, High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas, took over the post a year ago from Mogherini's successor, Josep Borrell.
Strong suspicions
Raids were conducted at the prosecutors' request at several buildings of the EEAS, the College of Europe and the houses of suspects.
The college is an institute where university graduates from EU member states can prepare for possible EU careers.
Prosecutors said they had "strong suspicions" of fraud in a tender that granted a nine-month training programme for junior diplomats across member states in 2021-22.
The tender was held by the diplomatic service and won by the college.
According to the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), investigators are examining whether representatives of the College of Europe were given advance access to confidential information about the tender's selection criteria and whether they had reason to believe they would win the contract before the EEAS officially published the call for tenders.
EU Financial Regulation
Authorities suspect that Article 169 of the EU Financial Regulation, which ensures fair competition in procurement procedures, may have been breached through the sharing of sensitive information during the tender process.
Before the searches, EPPO requested the lifting of immunity for several suspects, which was granted.
The case was initially reported to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) and could involve potential offences including procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy.
The investigation remains ongoing under the supervision of an investigating judge in West Flanders.
EPPO said all individuals involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts.
