Belgian police have arrested the former European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, as part of an investigation into allegations of contract fraud for an EU-funded training program. Mogherini, who led European diplomacy between 2014 and 2019 and currently heads the College of Europe, is one of three people arrested, along with the institution’s deputy director and Stefano Sannino, former secretary general of the European External Action Service (EEAS).
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The investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) focuses on the so-called “EU Diplomatic Academy”, a nine-month course targeting young diplomats from the bloc’s countries. The program is contracted by EEAS and awarded to the European College between 2021 and 2022.
According to EPPO, there is evidence that confidential information from the bidding process was passed on to the college in advance, which would have given the institution an undue advantage in the dispute.
If confirmed, violations could constitute crimes such as fraud in public contracts, corruption, conflicts of interest, and breach of professional confidentiality.
At the request of European prosecutors, searches were carried out at the College of Europe, in Bruges, at the headquarters of the European External Action Service, in Brussels, and at the homes of the suspects. The job immunities of those involved were lifted to allow investigations to proceed, and the European Commission confirmed the implementation of police operations.
The investigation was launched following a complaint sent by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which reported the case to the EPPO because it involved potential damage to the community budget.
The authorities confirm that none of the suspicions have been proven yet and that the goal is to “clarify the facts,” although the arrests and the scale of searches indicate the seriousness of the suspicions.