Former European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is one of three people arrested by Belgian police today in a wide-ranging investigation into fraud related to the funding of a Bruges academy for young diplomats, two people familiar with the investigation told Euractiv and De Standard.
Belgian police have raided the EU diplomatic service, the College of Europe and private homes as part of an investigation into alleged misuse of EU funds, according to people familiar with the investigation and witnesses, Euractiv reports.
A spokesman for the College, where Mogherini has been rector since 2020, said he did not know whether she had been arrested and declined to comment further.
Mogherini led the European External Action Service (EEAS) from 2014 to 2019 and has been the director of the Academy since 2022.
Another employee at the College of Europe, who works in the executive education department, was also detained, the source said, Euractiv reports.
A senior European Commission official, Stefano Sanino, was also detained. Sanino was previously Secretary-General of the EEAS under Mogherini, when the Diplomatic Academy was established. He is currently Director-General of the Commission's Department for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf.
The commission confirmed that police were present at the EEAS buildings on Tuesday as part of an ongoing investigation into activities carried out during the previous mandate. They declined to provide further information as the investigation is ongoing.
"I was informed half an hour ago about what is happening in Bruges," said Herman Van Rompuy, a former president of the European Council who is now president of the governing board of the College of Europe in Bruges.
Reuters reported that the European Public Prosecutor's Office said today that Belgian police raided the EU diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and an educational institution, the College of Europe in Bruges, as part of an investigation into suspected fraud.
The agency said prosecutors said three suspects had been detained in an investigation related to EU-funded training for young diplomats.
Belgian broadcaster VRT reported that Federica Mogherini, former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and current director of the College of Europe, was among them.
EU prosecutors said they could not reveal the identities of the suspects.
The raids, at the request of prosecutors, were carried out on Tuesday at several EEAS buildings, the College of Europe and the suspects' homes. The college is an institution where graduates from EU member states can prepare for possible careers in the EU, Reuters reported.
The prosecutor's office said it had "strong suspicions" of fraud in the tender for a nine-month training program for young diplomats from member states for the period 2021–22. The tender was announced by the diplomatic service, and the College won it.
The college declined to comment on the report. The EEAS was not immediately available for comment.
A European Commission spokesperson also did not comment on questions regarding the report.
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