Belgian police arrest 3 after raids EU diplomatic offices and college in fraud investigation

BRUSSELS (AP) – Authorities in Belgium arrested three people on Tuesday after raiding the offices of the European Union’s diplomatic service in Brussels and a college in Bruges as part of a fraud investigation, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement.

Police searched the properties of suspects, several buildings of the College of Europe in Bruges, and at the headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS) that sits at the center of the 27-nation bloc’s institutions in Brussels, the EPPO said.

The EPPO, an independent public organization of the EU, said it had “strong suspicions” of fraud in awarding a tender for running a 2021 to 2022 training program at the EU Diplomatic Academy for junior diplomats. Former Vice-President of the European Commission Josep Borrell ran the EEAS.

“They could constitute procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy. The investigation is ongoing to clarify the facts and assess whether any criminal offences have occurred,” the prosecutor’s office said. It said it had also requested the lifting of the immunity of several suspects.

European Commission spokesperson Anitta Hipper confirmed the raid on the EAAS building during a press conference, but declined to give details of the investigation or the suspects.

Belgian media outlets Le Soir and L’Echo reported that one of the three detained is Federica Mogherini, rector at the College of Europe and a former head of EEAS.

The federal police and the prosecutor’s office declined to comment.