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Belgian authorities released former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini, European Commission official Stefano Sannino and a third suspect from custody after questioning them in a corruption probe. They have not been charged at this time.
The three suspects were detained on Tuesday after the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) launched an investigation into fraud linked to an EU-funded training academy for junior diplomats.
Mogherini was the EU’s top foreign policy official at the European External Action Service (EEAS) for five years, between 2014 and 2019, in the Juncker Commission and became the rector of the College of Europe in 2020. The Bruges-based institution is well-connected to EU institutions and serves as a training ground for future EU employees.
Sannino is the director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf (DG MENA). He also served as the EEAS secretary general from 2021 to 2024.
In February, Sannino took up the position of director of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf states.
What we know so far
Police searched the premises of the College of Europe in Bruges and the European External Action Service in Brussels.
The EPPO said in a press release Wednesday morning that the three individuals were formally notified of the accusations. They also noted that the third suspect is a senior staff member of the College of Europe. According to the Italian press, the suspect is also an Italian national.
“The accusations concern procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy. They were released, as they are not considered a flight risk,” the press statement said.
The prosecutor added that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the Belgian courts.
The College of Europe said in a statement that it will cooperate with authorities in the case.
“The College remains committed to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and compliance — both in academic and administrative matters. The College takes all necessary measures to ensure the continuity of its activities.”
According to EPPO, the investigation aims to determine whether the EEAS broke its tendering rules by sharing information with the College of Europe before a training project was formally awarded.
The EPPO suspects that competition rules were breached during the tender and that “confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender.”
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