The European Union’s former foreign and security chief, Federica Mogherini, has been charged with fraud as part of an EU investigation into misuse of funds, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said.
The EPPO said searches were conducted on Tuesday at the European University in Bruges, Belgium, which Mogherini heads, and at the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, where she served as Mogherini’s top diplomat for five years.
The investigation relates to training of junior diplomats funded by the European Union (EU), the EPPO said.
Mr. Mogherini, a senior executive at a European university, and a senior official of the European Commission were also detained, prosecutors added.
According to the EPPO, the three were formally notified of the allegations, which they say “relate to procurement fraud and corruption, conflicts of interest and breach of professional secrecy.”
All three defendants were deemed not to be a flight risk and were all released and their homes were searched.
After 10 hours of questioning, Ms. Mogherini issued a statement saying, “I have made my position clear to the investigators,” adding, “Following a long tradition, the university has always applied and will continue to apply the highest standards of integrity and fairness.”
“I have full confidence in the judicial system and believe that the university’s actions will be confirmed correct. I will certainly continue to provide the authorities with my full cooperation,” she said.
Under Belgian law, suspects can be released without being charged after being arrested.
EPPO said the investigation focused on tenders awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe for 2021-2022.
He added that there were strong suspicions of favoritism in relation to the bid for the nine-month diplomat junior training course.
EPPO, which investigates allegations of crimes against the EU’s financial interests, did not name the three people questioned but said the immunity of several suspects had been lifted as part of the investigation.
College of Europe is an independent school attended by aspiring EU civil servants. It is closely linked to the EU and is partly funded by the EU.
