Fraud investigation operation in Brussels! Former EU High Representative Federica Mogherini among those detained

Belgian authorities have detained former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini as part of an investigation into fraud and irregularities in public procurement. Belgian media reported this, Euronews reported, quoted by Focus.

A total of three people were detained following searches on Tuesday morning at the offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the College of Europe in Bruges and several private addresses. According to sources confirmed by Euronews, the second person arrested is Stefano Sannino - former Secretary-General of the EEAS and current Director at the European Commission. The third person detained is a manager at the College of Europe.

Mogherini, who headed European diplomacy between 2014 and 2019, has been the rector of the College of Europe since 2020. The investigation, led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO), is targeting the EU Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month training programme for young diplomats, entrusted to the College of Europe in 2021-2022.

The prosecutor's office is investigating whether the EEAS breached public procurement rules by providing confidential information to the College before the tender was closed. The EPPO said there were "strong suspicions" and that public procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and breach of professional secrecy could be found. All three detainees had been stripped of their immunity before the raid, a sign that the investigation is targeting high-ranking figures.

The EEAS confirmed that police had carried out operations at the building, saying the case related to the previous government term. The College of Europe declined to comment on whether Mogherini was among those detained.

The investigation into the case is ongoing.