Ex-senior EU diplomat reportedly taken into custody in fraud crackdown

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Reports indicate that Federica Mogherini has been detained by Belgian police in connection with an investigation into the suspected misuse of EU funds.

According to Belgian and French media reports on Tuesday, Federica Mogherini, who previously served as vice-president of the European Commission, has been taken into custody by authorities as part of a police inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of EU funds.

Reuters, citing the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, stated that Belgian police conducted searches at multiple locations, including the Brussels headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the College of Europe in Bruges, and several private homes.

Sources close to the investigation, as cited by Euractiv, indicated that police confiscated documents and arrested three individuals on suspicion of offenses including procurement fraud, corruption, and criminal conflict of interest. The Belgian publication L’Echo identified Mogherini as one of those arrested.

Stefano Sannino, a high-ranking EU official, was also apprehended. He previously held the position of secretary-general of the EEAS during Mogherini’s tenure, at which time the Diplomatic Academy was founded, and currently leads the European Commission’s department overseeing the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf regions.

Euractiv also cited an anonymous source stating that another employee from the College of Europe’s executive education department was also taken into custody.

The investigation is said to center on the college’s acquisition of a building on Spanjaardstraat for €3.2 million ($3.7 million) in 2022, an event that occurred just prior to it receiving €654,000 in funding from the EEAS. Investigators suspect the institution might have obtained confidential information, potentially compromising fair competition. As of yet, no official charges have been brought.

Mogherini has been the college’s rector since 2020, having previously headed the EEAS from 2014 to 2019. Reports indicate that investigators are looking into whether the college or its officials had advance knowledge of a public tender related to the EU Diplomatic Academy, which is an EEAS-funded training initiative for European diplomats based in Bruges.

Founded in 1949, the College of Europe is recognized as the EU’s premier institution for training diplomats and civil servants, with many of its graduates achieving high-level roles in European politics and institutions. The college equips university graduates from member states for potential careers within the EU.