The raids early Tuesday morning were carried out at both the EEAS office in central Brussels and at the College of Europe in Bruges, the news site Euractiv reports. A couple of private homes were also reportedly searched.
The EU's Public Prosecutor's Office EPPO states in a statement that there are suspicions that the procurement of a training program for young diplomats in 2021 and 2022 was rigged in advance to benefit the College of Europe.
One of those arrested is said to be former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, who headed the EEAS from 2014 to 2019 and was previously Italy's foreign minister. Mogherini has been the rector of the College of Europe in Bruges since 2020.
Also arrested is fellow countryman Stefano Sannini, a long-time top Italian diplomat and Secretary General of the EEAS until January this year, according to information provided to the newspaper Le Soir . A third person arrested is said to be one of the heads of the College of Europe.
About ten police officers are said to have participated in the crackdown on the EEAS, which has been formally led by Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas since November 2024.
Wiktor Nummelin/TT
Facts: Federica Mogherini
TT
Italian Federica Mogherini (born 1973) was the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and also Vice-President of the European Commission from 2014-19.
She was previously a Member of Parliament in Italy for the social democratic PD from 2008-14 and Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of then Prime Minister Matteo Renzi between February and October 2014.
Mogherini resigned after her maximum two terms of office (of 2.5 years each) in the fall of 2019 and the following year became rector of the EU's own university, the College of Europe, in Bruges.
