Ex-EU foreign policy chief accused of fraud, corruption
Former European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and two others have been formally charged with procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and breach of professional confidentiality, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said.
The three men were detained as part of the EU fraud investigation on Tuesday and were released while the investigation was ongoing, EPPO said, adding that they did not pose a flight risk.
The other two suspects are senior staff at the College of Europe in Bruges and a senior official from the European Commission, EPPO said.
Three sources told Reuters that one of the detainees was senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino.
Neither Mogherini nor Sannino could be reached for comment.
EPPO also stated, “Everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian civil courts.” he said.
The arrests followed raids on the EU diplomatic service in Brussels, the College of Europe, an elite university in Bruges that trains many EU officials, and the suspects’ homes.
Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister, was the EU’s high representative for foreign and security policy and head of its diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019.
He became rector of the College of Europe in 2020.
According to the EPPO, the investigation concerns “suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats”.
Mogherini and Sannino, both Italian citizens, are well known in Brussels diplomatic circles and news of their detention sent shockwaves through the EU community.
“The allegations are extremely shocking but should in no way tarnish the good work that the vast majority of you do every day,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a letter sent to the EU’s diplomatic service staff on Wednesday and seen by Reuters.
“Please be assured that we are cooperating fully with the investigation and providing full transparency,” he said, adding, “I would like to reiterate my confidence in the authorities that due process was followed and the presumption of innocence was preserved.”
