BRUSSELS, BELGIUM – Belgian authorities arrested three individuals on Tuesday following raids at the European Union’s diplomatic service offices in Brussels and a college in Bruges as part of an ongoing fraud investigation. Police also searched the residences of the suspects, multiple buildings at the College of Europe in Bruges, and the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) in Brussels, located at the center of the EU’s institutional operations.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO), an independent EU agency, said it has “strong suspicions” of fraud linked to the awarding of a tender for a 2021–2022 training program at the EU Diplomatic Academy for junior diplomats. The alleged misconduct could involve procurement fraud, corruption, conflicts of interest, and breaches of professional secrecy, and the investigation remains ongoing to determine whether criminal offenses occurred. The EPPO has also requested the lifting of immunity for several suspects.
A European Commission spokesperson confirmed the raid on the EEAS building but provided no additional details. Belgian media reported that one of those detained is Federica Mogherini, rector of the College of Europe and a former head of the EEAS. Belgian federal police and prosecutors declined to comment further.