The EU's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has been detained by Belgian police as part of an anti-fraud investigation. Stefano Sannino, a top EU civil servant, was also taken into questioning on Tuesday.
Mogherini was among three suspects taken for questioning on Tuesday morning after Belgian authorities searched the offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the College of Europe in the city of Bruges and a series of private homes.
As High Representative, Mogherini helmed the EEAS and led the bloc's foreign policy between 2014 and 2019. She has been the rector of the College of Europe, a prestigious university that receives EU funding, since September 2020.
The investigation is seeking to determine whether the EEAS broke its tendering rules by sharing information with the College before the project was formally awarded.
The EPPO said there are "strong suspicions" that EU rules on fair competition were breached during the tendering process and that "confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender."
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Police detain former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini in anti-fraud probe
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2025/12/02/belgian-police-raid-european-external-action-service-in-anti-fraud-operationThe EU's former foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, has been detained by Belgian police as part of an anti-fraud investigation. Stefano Sannino, a top EU civil servant, was also taken into questioning on Tuesday.
Mogherini was among three suspects taken for questioning on Tuesday morning after Belgian authorities searched the offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the College of Europe in the city of Bruges and a series of private homes.
As High Representative, Mogherini helmed the EEAS and led the bloc's foreign policy between 2014 and 2019. She has been the rector of the College of Europe, a prestigious university that receives EU funding, since September 2020.
The investigation is seeking to determine whether the EEAS broke its tendering rules by sharing information with the College before the project was formally awarded.
The EPPO said there are "strong suspicions" that EU rules on fair competition were breached during the tendering process and that "confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender."