The EU's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has been accused of fraud as part of an EU investigation into the misuse of funds, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) has said.
The EPPO stated that searches were carried out on Tuesday at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, which is headed by Ms. Mogherini, as well as at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the office she managed for five years.
The investigation relates to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, according to the EPPO.
Alongside Ms. Mogherini, a senior staff member from the College of Europe and a senior official from the European Commission were detained for questioning.
The EPPO specified that the allegations involve procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy. After being questioned, they were released as they were not deemed a flight risk, with their homes also searched.
Under Belgian law, an individual can be arrested and then released without being formally charged while remaining a suspect.
The inquiry includes scrutiny of a tender awarded to the College of Europe by the EEAS between 2021-2022, where there are strong suspicions of favoritism regarding a nine-month training program for junior diplomats.
The EPPO has revealed that the immunity of several suspects has been lifted as part of this investigation. The College of Europe is an independent institution frequented by future EU civil servants and is partially funded by the EU.
