The EU's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has been accused of fraud as part of an EU investigation into the misuse of funds, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has said.
The EPPO stated that searches were conducted at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, where Ms. Mogherini is currently in charge, as well as at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, which she led for five years.
The investigation pertains to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, with the EPPO revealing that Ms. Mogherini, a senior staff member from the College of Europe, and a senior official from the European Commission were detained during the operation.
Allegations against them involve procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy, the EPPO has confirmed.
All three were released after being deemed not a flight risk, although searches were also carried out at their residences. Under Belgian law, individuals can be arrested and subsequently released without formal charges while remaining suspects.
The investigation is focusing on a tender awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe in 2021-2022, with the EPPO highlighting strong suspicions of favoritism related to a nine-month training course for junior diplomats.
The names of the individuals involved remain undisclosed; however, it has been noted that the immunity of several suspects was lifted during this investigation. The College of Europe is an independent institution closely associated with and partially funded by the EU, aimed at training future EU civil servants.
