Federica Mogherini has reportedly been taken into custody by Belgian police as part of a probe into alleged misuse of EU funds
The former vice-president of the European Commission, Federica Mogherini, is being held by authorities amid a police investigation into alleged misuse of EU funds, Belgian and French media reported on Tuesday.
Belgian police carried out searches at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, the College of Europe in Bruges, and several private residences, Reuters reported citing the European Public Prosecutor's Office.
Police seized documents and detained three people on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption, and criminal conflict of interest, according to sources familiar with the case cited by Euractive. Belgian outlet L'Echo reported that Mogherini was among the detained.
Senior EU official Stefano Sannino was also taken into custody. He served as secretary-general of the EEAS under Mogherini when the Diplomatic Academy was established and now heads the European Commission's department for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf.
Another College of Europe employee from the executive education department was also detained, according to an unnamed person cited by Euractiv.
The probe reportedly focuses on the college's €3.2 million ($3.7 million) purchase of a building on Spanjaardstraat in 2022, shortly before receiving €654,000 in funding from the EEAS. Authorities suspect the institution may have had access to confidential information, undermining fair competition. No formal charges have been filed so far.
Mogherini has served as the college's rector since 2020 and led the EEAS from 2014 to 2019. Investigators are reportedly examining whether the college or its representatives had prior knowledge of a public tender for the EU Diplomatic Academy, a training program for European diplomats in Bruges funded by the EEAS.
The College of Europe, established in 1949, is considered the EU's elite training ground for diplomats and civil servants, boasting alumni who have gone on to hold senior positions in European politics and institutions. The institution prepares university graduates from member states for possible EU careers.
(RT.com)
