The former head of European Union diplomacy and current rector of the "Collegio d'Europa", Federica Mogherini, has been detained in Brussels as part of an investigation into fraud and corruption related to a training program for European diplomats.
According to Belgian media, Stefano Sannino, former Secretary-General of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and currently head of DG Mediterraneo at the European Commission, was also detained along with Mogherini. The third person arrested is a manager of the Collegio d'Europa, whose identity has not yet been made public.
The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) announces that the investigation is related to a possible case of fraud in the use of EU funds. In total, three people have been detained: Mogherini, Sannino and a manager of the College of Europe. According to the EPPO, the reported criminal offenses date back to 2021–2022 and include fraud in public contracts, corruption, conflict of interest and breach of professional secrecy.
The investigation is investigating whether the College of Europe or its leaders had prior knowledge of the terms of the public tender for the financing of the new European Diplomatic Academy in Bruges. The institution, founded in 1949 and known as an “incubator” of European officials, purchased a building on Spanjaardstraat in 2022 to accommodate participants in the program – just before the EEAS published the call for funding, which then awarded the college 654 thousand euros, reports “Le Soir”.
The investigation focuses on suspicions of unlawful access to confidential information on the tender, which was supposed to remain secret to guarantee fair competition between applicants. Before the file was transferred to the EPPO, OLAF had interviewed the persons involved.
So far, there is no indication that the EPPO or OLAF have concluded that a criminal offence has been committed, and none of the detainees have been formally charged, writes "La Repubblica".
