Former EU foreign policy chief Mogherini arrested in corruption probe
Former EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini was 1 of 3 people arrested as part of a fraud investigation. The EEAS, which she led until 2019 and the prestigious College of Europe, where she is currently rector. It is the latest corruption scandal to hit the EU and Europe.
Brussels (AP/dpa) - Former EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini and two others have been released after having been held for questioning in a fraud investigation, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) said on Wednesday.
The three suspects were notified of the accusations against them which include procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy, a statement said. The individuals were released as they are not considered a flight risk.
On Tuesday Belgian police carried out searches at the European Union's diplomatic service in Brussels and at an elite university in Bruges. The suspects' homes were also searched.
Training course at centre of probe
The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe are at the centre of a probe into suspected fraud in relation to a training course for diplomats funded with EU money.
Mogherini, a former Italian foreign minister, currently serves as the director of the European Union Diplomatic Academy and the rector of the College of Europe. She previously served as the head of EEAS.
EEAS is the EU’s equivalent of a foreign office. As the bloc’s top diplomat, Mogherini was responsible for supervising the Iran nuclear talks, leading efforts to improve long-strained relations between Serbia and Kosovo, and a host of other foreign policy and security issues.
The two other suspects are a former EEAS secretary general and the College of Europe's deputy director, according to Belgian media reports.
According to EPPO, the College of Europe was tasked by EEAS with implementing a training programme for junior EU diplomats following a tendering process.
The ongoing probe focuses on whether the university or its representatives knew about the selection criteria in advance, or knew that they would be awarded the project before the tender notice was published, EPPO said.
The College of Europe had announced that it would cooperate fully with the authorities.
EPPO said on Tuesday that "there are strong suspicions" that financial rules were breached and that confidential information was leaked. It stress that all persons involved are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Other corruption scandals
The corruption case targeting Mogherini is the latest to hit European institutions. Her arrest came as the EU has been lecturing Ukraine about tackling rampant corruption. It risks tarnishing the EU’s international image just as it seeks to assert influence in peace negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.
Revelations of an alleged cash-for-influence scheme dubbed Qatargate, involving high-profile center-left EU lawmakers, assistants, lobbyists and their relatives, emerged in 2022. Qatari and Moroccan officials are alleged to have paid bribes to influence decision-making. Both countries deny involvement. No one has been convicted or is in pretrial detention, and prospects for a trial are unclear.
In March this year, several people were arrested in a probe linked to the Chinese company Huawei, which is suspected of bribing EU lawmakers.
Last year, the aide of prominent far-right EU lawmaker Maximilian Krah was arrested in a separate case. German prosecutors alleged the aide was a Chinese agent. Krah, who has since switched to the federal legislature of his native Germany, denied knowledge of the suspicions against his former employee.