BRUSSELS, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Belgian police have raided the EU’s diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and a training college, the College of Europe in Bruges, as part of a probe into suspected fraud, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday. Three suspects were detained in the investigation related to EU-funded training for junior […]
World
Belgian police raid EU diplomatic service on fraud suspicion
Audio By Carbonatix
BRUSSELS, Dec 2 (Reuters) – Belgian police have raided the EU’s diplomatic service (EEAS) in Brussels and a training college, the College of Europe in Bruges, as part of a probe into suspected fraud, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office said on Tuesday.
Three suspects were detained in the investigation related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats, the prosecutors said.
Belgian broadcaster VRT said Federica Mogherini, the EU’s former top diplomat and current head of the College of Europe, was among them.
The EU prosecutors said they could not disclose identities.
Raids were conducted at the prosecutors’ request at several buildings of the EEAS, the College of Europe and the houses of suspects on Tuesday. The college is an institute where university graduates from EU member states can prepare for possible EU careers.
Prosecutors said they had “strong suspicions” of fraud in a tender that granted a nine-month training programme for junior diplomats across member states in 2021-22. The tender was held by the diplomatic service and won by the college.
The college declined to comment on the report. The EEAS was not immediately available for comment.
A spokesperson for the European Commission did not comment on questions about the report.
(Reporting by Louise Breusch Rasmussen and Inti LandauroEditing by Bart Meijer and Frances Kerry)