Former EU Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini Accused in EU Procurement Fraud Probe

BRUSSELS — Federica Mogherini, the EU’s former high representative for foreign and security policy, has been formally accused of procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violating professional secrecy, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said Friday.

EPPO said three people were the subject of the accusations. They were detained during raids linked to an investigation into suspected fraud connected to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, then released pending the ongoing probe. The office said none were considered a flight risk and reminded that “all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts of law.”

Alongside Mogherini, EPPO identified the other two suspects only by role: a senior staff member at the College of Europe in Bruges and a senior official from the European Commission. Three sources speaking to Reuters identified one of the detainees as Stefano Sannino, a veteran Italian EU diplomat well known in Brussels.

The arrests followed searches at the European External Action Service, the EU’s diplomatic service in Brussels, at the College of Europe in Bruges — the elite postgraduate institute where Mogherini became rector in 2020 — and at the private homes of suspects, EPPO said.

Mogherini served as the EU’s high representative and head of its diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019 before moving to the College of Europe. The probe, EPPO said, concerns “suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats,” but the office did not provide further operational details.

The development sent immediate shockwaves through Brussels diplomatic circles. Both Mogherini and Sannino, who are Italian nationals, are prominent figures in EU foreign policy and institutional networks; their detentions and subsequent formal accusations represent an unusual escalation in an investigation touching on the management of EU funds and institutional training programs.

EPPO, created to investigate and prosecute crimes affecting the EU’s financial interests, has in recent years pursued cases involving procurement and misuse of EU money. The office said it is continuing a cross-border investigation and did not set out a timetable for any further legal steps.

Requests for comment from Mogherini, Sannino and the College of Europe were not immediately answered. The European Commission and the European External Action Service said they would cooperate with judicial authorities but declined immediate comment on ongoing proceedings.

The case will now proceed through Belgian judicial channels. Legal experts say the status of the accused as released and not considered flight risks indicates investigators are allowing the judicial process to progress without pre-trial detention, but added that formal accusations by EPPO mark a significant legal turning point.

By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.