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Former European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and two other individuals have been officially charged with procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breach of professional secrecy, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) announced on Wednesday.
The three suspects were taken into custody on Tuesday as part of an EU fraud probe and were later released as investigators determined they posed no flight risk, the EPPO said. The prosecutor’s office identified the other two suspects as a high-ranking staff member of the College of Europe in Bruges and a senior European Commission official. Reuters sources confirmed that one of them is senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino.
Both Mogherini and Sannino were unavailable for comment. The EPPO emphasized that all those involved are presumed innocent until found guilty by the relevant Belgian courts.
The arrests followed search operations at the EU’s diplomatic service headquarters in Brussels, the College of Europe — a prestigious institution that trains many future EU officials — and the homes of the suspects.
Mogherini served as the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy from 2014 to 2019 and has been the rector of the College of Europe since 2020. The EPPO stated that the investigation centers on alleged irregularities in EU-funded training programs for junior diplomats.
Both Mogherini and Sannino, who are Italian nationals and prominent figures in Brussels’ diplomatic circles, triggered widespread shock across the EU community following news of their detention.
