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 executed on Tuesday at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, which is headed by Ms. Mogherini, along with the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, where she served for five years as the bloc's top diplomat.
The investigation pertains to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, as confirmed by the EPPO. In addition to Ms. Mogherini, a senior staff member from the College of Europe and an official from the European Commission were also detained.
The EPPO detailed that the three suspects were formally informed of accusations regarding procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breach of professional secrecy. They were released post-interrogation, as they were deemed not to pose a flight risk, and their residences were also searched.
Under Belgian law, it's possible for a person to be arrested and released without formal charges while remaining a suspect. The EPPO's investigation centers on a contract awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe for training services in 2021-2022.
There are reportedly strong indications of favoritism regarding this tender for a nine-month training course for junior diplomats. Furthermore, the EPPO has enacted the lifting of immunity for several individuals under investigation.
The College of Europe is an independent institution that trains future EU civil servants and receives partial funding from the EU.
