Belgian police have carried out raids at the European Union’s diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and at the College of Europe in Bruges as part of a criminal investigation into suspected fraud involving EU-funded diplomatic training, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said on Tuesday.
According to EPPO, three suspects were detained during the operation, which centers on a tender awarding a nine-month training program for junior diplomats across EU member states in 2021–22. The tender was organzsed by the EU diplomatic service and won by the College of Europe.
While prosecutors declined to release any names, Belgian broadcaster VRT reported that Federica Mogherini — the EU’s Former Vice-President of the European Commission and current head of the College of Europe — was among those detained. EPPO did not confirm the report, or make any comments as reported in Reuters.
Raids took place at several EEAS buildings, the College of Europe, and the homes of the suspects. The College of Europe is a postgraduate institute where graduates from EU countries train for potential future careers in EU institutions.
Prosecutors said they had “strong suspicions” of fraud linked to the training contract but did not provide further details.
The College of Europe declined to comment, while the EEAS was not immediately available to respond. A European Commission spokesperson also refrained from commenting on the investigation.
