Shocking developments are unfolding in Brussels as authorities have made three arrests, including Federica Mogherini, former Vice President of the European Commission. As part of an investigation by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office into alleged fraud in the use of EU funds, authorities conducted raids at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels and at College of Europe buildings in Bruges.
According to the European Prosecutor’s announcement, the investigations concern a case of potential fraud related to the use of European Union funding. A total of three individuals were arrested. One of those detained is the rector of the College of Europe, Federica Mogherini, former Vice President of the European Commission, who is being held for questioning, according to Belgian media reports. The other two are a College of Europe manager and Italian diplomat Stefano Sannino, former Secretary-General of the EEAS from 2021-2025.
Federica Mogherini’s arrest in Brussels: What the investigation revealed
The investigation, as noted by Le Soir, focuses on suspicions of favoritism and potential unfair competition in the awarding of a Serbian nine-month training program for future European diplomats at the College of Europe by the European diplomatic service.
The alleged crimes relate to the period 2021-2022. The acts under investigation include fraud in public contract awarding, corruption, conflict of interest, and breach of professional confidentiality.
The College of Europe is a higher education institution that trains a large number of future executives of European institutions. Investigators seek to determine whether the College of Europe or its representatives had been informed in advance about the selection criteria in the context of the tender procedure announced by the European diplomatic service for the training program.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), which officially began operations in 2021, is an independent EU body responsible for combating fraud against the Union’s budget and any crimes affecting its financial interests, including corruption, money laundering, and cross-border VAT fraud. This supranational authority has the power not only to investigate but also to prosecute and bring perpetrators to justice, a competence that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) did not possess.
