EditFraud probe targets EEAS and College of Europe, detaining Mogherini and top diplomats
With no charges yet and the presumption of innocence intact, the coming days could redefine careers and reform agendas
In a dramatic escalation of scrutiny over EU fund management, Belgian federal police raided the European External Action Service (EEAS) headquarters in Brussels and the prestigious College of Europe in Bruges early Tuesday morning, detaining three high-profile suspects in a sweeping fraud investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).
The probe, first broken by Euractiv, centers on allegations of procurement fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest tied to the awarding of a lucrative contract for the EU Diplomatic Academy—a flagship training program for junior diplomats.
Among those in custody: former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and senior diplomat Stefano Sannino, sending shockwaves through Brussels’ corridors of power.
The operation, which unfolded at dawn, involved around 10 plainclothes officers storming the EEAS building at 7:30 a.m., seizing documents and electronic materials, according to eyewitnesses and officials familiar with the matter.
Searches extended to multiple College of Europe facilities in Bruges—long revered as the “EU’s finishing school” for aspiring Eurocrats—and private residences across Belgium. The EPPO confirmed the raids in a midday statement, noting that immunities for “several suspects” had been lifted prior to the action, with support from the EU’s anti-fraud office, OLAF.
The heart of the allegations: a tainted tender for diplomatic training
At stake is the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month intensive program launched in 2022 to groom young diplomats from across the 27 member states. Funded by the EEAS with €654,000 for its inaugural run, the academy was awarded to the College of Europe following a public tender process in 2021-2022. Investigators suspect the process was rigged from the start, with “strong suspicions” that confidential details—such as selection criteria—were leaked to the College before the tender’s official publication, breaching Article 169 of the EU Financial Regulation on fair competition.
The probe, initially flagged to OLAF through administrative inquiries and interviews, alleges that the College’s representatives had “sufficient reason to believe they would be awarded the implementation of the project” ahead of time.
This foreknowledge may have influenced key decisions, including the institution’s €3.2 million purchase of a Bruges building on Spanjaardstraat in 2022 to house academy participants— a move made amid the College’s financial pressures and just before the tender’s award.
Potential charges include procurement fraud, corruption, criminal conflict of interest, and violations of professional secrecy, though no formal indictments have been filed.
“This could constitute a serious undermining of public trust in how EU funds are allocated,” one EU official told Politico, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The EPPO emphasized that the investigation remains ongoing to “clarify the facts and assess whether any criminal offences have occurred,” underscoring the presumption of innocence for all involved.
Key players: from Mogherini to Sannino
The detentions have thrust a spotlight on interconnected EU elite networks. Federica Mogherini, 52, the Italian Socialist who helmed the EEAS as High Representative for Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2019, now serves as rector of the College of Europe (in her second five-year term) and director of the Diplomatic Academy since August 2022.
Her dual roles raise questions about potential conflicts, especially given the timing of the tender under her successor, Josep Borrell, Spain’s former foreign minister who led the EEAS during the 2021-2022 period.Joining Mogherini in custody is Stefano Sannino, an Italian career diplomat who was EEAS secretary-general from 2021 to 2024 and now heads the European Commission’s Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf.
The third detainee is reportedly a deputy or manager at the College of Europe, though identities remain unconfirmed by authorities.
An investigative judge has 48 hours to decide on charges or release, per Belgian procedure.
Neither Mogherini, Sannino, nor the College has commented publicly. EEAS spokespeople confirmed the raids but deferred to the probe, noting it pertains to “activities that took place in the previous mandate” before current High Representative Kaja Kallas assumed office in December 2024.
The European Commission, via spokesperson Anitta Hipper, acknowledged the searches but refused further details, citing the ongoing nature of the case.
Broader implications: a ‘political earthquake’ in EU circles
This scandal erupts amid heightened calls for accountability in EU institutions, following recent controversies over fund misuse and influence peddling. The College of Europe, founded in 1949 and alma mater to luminaries like Ursula von der Leyen and countless commissioners, symbolizes European integration—making the allegations particularly damaging.
“It’s a political earthquake,” one Brussels insider described to Telegrafi, highlighting how the probe could erode confidence in the bloc’s diplomatic training pipeline at a time of global tensions.
The EPPO, established in 2021 to combat crimes against EU finances, has ramped up such high-stakes probes, from VAT fraud to corruption. OLAF’s involvement underscores the administrative roots: preliminary interviews uncovered red flags that escalated to criminal territory.
As Le Monde noted, this is “a probe into suspected fraud scheme involving the training of European diplomats”—a ironic twist for an academy meant to forge the EU’s ethical foreign policy vanguard.
This article draws on reporting from Euractiv, Politico, EPPO, Euronews, Le Monde, edited by g.g.
Caption: On 25 March 2025, Roxana Mînzatu, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness, received the visit of Federica Mogherini, Rector of the College of Europe, to the European Commission. [Europe by Satellite]
Updated: December 2, 2025 - 16:57
