Federica Mogherini, the former EU foreign policy chief, has been charged with fraud as part of an EU investigation into embezzlement, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office said searches were carried out on Tuesday at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, which Mogherini heads, and at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the office she headed for five years as the bloc’s top diplomat.
The investigation concerns the training of young diplomats financed by the EU, according to the prosecutor’s office. Along with Ms Mogherini, a senior official from the College of Europe and a senior official from the European Commission were arrested.
According to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the three were formally informed of the accusations: “the accusations concern procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy.”
They were later released, as they were not considered a flight risk, and their homes were also searched.
Under Belgian law, a person can be arrested and released without charge and still remain a suspect.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office said the investigation focuses on a tender that the EEAS awarded to the College of Europe in 2021-2022. The office added that there were “strong suspicions” of favoritism in relation to a nine-month training course for junior diplomats.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which investigates crimes affecting the EU’s financial interests, has not revealed the names of all suspects but said the immunity of several individuals had been lifted as part of the investigation.
The College of Europe is an independent school for aspiring EU civil servants and is closely associated with and partly funded by the EU.
(BBC)
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