In a major development, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has detained and questioned a very well-known former EU official. Federica Mogherini, who was the European Union’s foreign policy chief for five years, was held along with two other senior figures. This is part of a large investigation into fraud. The case involves claims of unfair favoritism in giving out a valuable training contract.
The operation happened on Tuesday. Investigators searched several places, including the Brussels offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe campus in Bruges. They also searched the private homes of the suspects. Besides Ms. Mogherini, who is now the Rector of the College of Europe, officials detained Stefano Sannino, a top EEAS director-general, and a high-level official from the college. All three were released on Wednesday morning without being formally charged, but the investigation continues.
The case focuses on a process in 2021 and 2022 to choose a company for a contract. The EPPO is examining why the EEAS gave a contract for its EU Diplomatic Academy, which trains new diplomats, directly to the College of Europe. Prosecutors say they have “strong suspicions” that the competition for the contract was not fair. They are investigating whether people at the college secretly received information about the selection rules before others, giving them an unfair advantage. The accusations include fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breaking rules about professional secrecy.
Targeting such important people is very significant for EU politics. Diplomats say this situation is extremely unusual, especially detaining a former foreign policy chief. The scandal brings back memories of past corruption problems in the EU, like the unresolved ‘Qatargate’ affair. It also comes at a time when people are paying more attention to how EU institutions work, which could increase existing public doubt about transparency.
A spokesperson for the College of Europe said simply, “The College of Europe will not comment at this stage.” The college and the EEAS will now face close looks at their internal rules. While the suspects are free, the legal process is not finished. The EPPO’s strong actions show it is now willing to investigate alleged wrongdoing, no matter how powerful the people involved are. This case will be an important test of the EU’s ability to ensure its own officials follow the rules, and the result could affect trust in the Union’s institutions for a long time.