BRUSSELS (Realist English). Former EU High Representative Federica Mogherini was detained on Tuesday as Belgian police carried out raids linked to an anti-fraud investigation targeting an EU-funded training programme. Senior EU civil servant Stefano Sannino was also brought in for questioning, in a case that has stunned Brussels.
Mogherini — who led the bloc’s foreign policy from 2014 to 2019 and has served since 2020 as rector of the College of Europe — was among three individuals questioned after authorities searched the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the College of Europe in Bruges and several private residences.
Sannino, a prominent official who served as EEAS secretary-general between 2021 and 2024, was also detained. In February, he became director of the European Commission’s newly created Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA). The third detainee is a senior manager at the College of Europe, according to Belgian newspaper Le Soir.
The College of Europe said it would “fully cooperate with the authorities,” stressing its commitment to “integrity, fairness and compliance.”
Focus of the investigation
The raids were ordered by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which is investigating suspected fraud linked to the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month training programme for young diplomats awarded to the College of Europe under a public tender between 2021 and 2022.
According to the EPPO, investigators are examining whether the EEAS improperly shared confidential information with the College before the contract was officially awarded, breaching EU rules on fair competition. There are “strong suspicions,” the office said, that confidential tender information was passed to one of the candidates.
The alleged misconduct could constitute procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violations of professional secrecy, the EPPO added.
An EEAS spokesperson confirmed the searches and said the matter relates to actions taken under “the previous mandate.” Tuesday’s operation followed “the lifting of immunity,” suggesting that those detained held senior positions at the time of the alleged offences.
Belgian police declined to comment. The investigation remains ongoing.