Former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, and senior diplomat Stefano Sannino are in pre-trial detention following a police operation in Belgium on Tuesday, linked to an investigation into alleged fraud, reports Politico.
Belgian authorities arrested three suspects and searched the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe over suspicions of corruption related to the creation of a diplomatic training academy. The searches were conducted at EEAS offices in Brussels, College of Europe facilities in Bruges, and several private residences, according to a statement by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
EEAS, the EU’s foreign policy branch, was led by Mogherini until 2019. She has served as Rector of the College of Europe since 2020. Sannino, a former Italian diplomat, was EEAS’s top civil servant and currently serves as Director-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf Department.
The investigation focuses on the EU Diplomatic Academy, a program for young diplomats across EU member states run by the College of Europe. EPPO suspects that rules on fair competition may have been violated when EEAS awarded the tender to establish the academy, particularly whether the College had prior knowledge of the selection criteria before the official tender announcement.
An EEAS official, speaking anonymously, stated that the searches targeted administrative offices on Rue d’Arlon 62 in Brussels, not the main Schuman campus. Employees were asked to vacate their offices and leave doors and furniture open.
EPPO requested the removal of diplomatic immunity for certain suspects, which was granted. The office did not specify which individuals were affected. Belgian authorities continue their investigation, which started before Kaja Kallas assumed leadership of EEAS.
