In a major development for a big investigation, three people were arrested on Tuesday. They are connected to a possible fraud case about a multi-million euro training contract. One of them is a former top EU foreign policy leader. The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and Belgian police worked together. They searched buildings at the same time in Brussels and at the College of Europe in Bruges. All three people were let go from police custody on Wednesday morning. The investigation is not finished.
The case is about a very valuable contract for the EU Diplomatic Academy. This is a nine-month program to train new EU diplomats. The contract was given to the College of Europe. Investigators are now looking very carefully at how the contract was awarded in 2021 and 2022. They want to know if the process was fair. A key question is whether people at the college received secret information to help them win the contract.
The people involved are very important. One is Federica Mogherini. She was the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs until 2019. Now she is the Rector of the College of Europe and head of the Diplomatic Academy. Another is Stefano Sannino, a senior official in the EU's foreign service. A third, unnamed official from the college was also arrested.
The investigation was large. Police searched not only offices but also the private homes of the officials. This case is very serious for the EU. It makes people ask questions about transparency and rules inside EU institutions. It also comes at a difficult time for the EU, which is dealing with many world problems. This situation hurts public trust and is a big challenge for the EU's reputation.