Mogherini is reported to be among three in custody for suspected fraud involving an EU-funded training programme.
The European Union’s former top diplomat has been detained as part of an anti-fraud probe relating to a diplomatic training programme, according to Belgian media reports.
Federica Mogherini, who served as EU foreign policy chief from 2014 to 2019 and now leads the College of Europe graduate school that teaches a training programme for junior EU diplomats, was taken into custody by Belgian police in Brussels on Tuesday, reported Belgian broadcaster VRT, the news agency Belga, and the news site Euractiv.
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The arrest came amid police raids at the College of Europe’s campus in Bruges, Belgium, and the Brussels premises of the European External Action Service – the EU’s diplomatic wing.
European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced the searches and said three suspects, which it did not name, were taken into custody. It said the investigation involved “suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats”.
Stefano Sannino, a senior EU official who was EEAS secretary-general from 2021 to 2024, was also among those detained, Agence France-Presse and Belgian media report.
Conducted by Belgian federal police at the EPPO’s request, the searches also targeted the houses of suspects, prosecutors said.
At issue, according to the EPPO, is a nine-month training programme for junior diplomats across EU states, known as the European Union Diplomatic Academy.
The programme was awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe in Belgium in the period 2021-2022, and the probe focuses on whether the tender process was skewed to favour the school.
Mogherini is the head of both the College of Europe and of the EU Diplomatic Academy.
“There are strong suspicions that … confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender,” said the EPPO statement.
‘Conflict of interest’
The European Commission confirmed the raids and said there was an “ongoing investigation”.
“We can confirm that the police was today at the EEAS buildings, and this is part of the ongoing investigation of the activities that took place before in the previous mandate,” said a commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper.
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.
The EPPO said it had requested and obtained the lifting of immunity of several suspects prior to the searches.
If confirmed, the allegations “could constitute procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy”, the prosecutor’s office said.
“The investigation is ongoing to clarify the facts and assess whether any criminal offences have occurred,” it added.
The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the EU, responsible for investigating crimes against the bloc’s financial interests.
The probe is also supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), to which the accusations were first reported.
