Have the article read by OpenAI (Beta). Please note that AI translations may take some time to process.Brussels (dpa) – The European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe, a renowned postgraduate institute of European studies, are at the centre of a probe into suspected fraud in relation to a training course for diplomats funded with EU money, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said in a press release.
Three suspects were detained on Tuesday after police carried out searches at the European Union’s diplomatic service in Brussels and at an elite university in Bruges. Suspects’ homes were also searched, the statement said.
Fraud in the tendering process?
The College of Europe was tasked by the EEAS with implementing a training programme for junior EU diplomats after a tendering process. The ongoing probe focuses on whether the university or its representatives knew about the selection criteria in advance, or knew that they would be awarded the project before the tender notice was published, the EPPO said.
“There are strong suspicions” that financial rules were breached and that confidential information was leaked, the prosecutors said. “The investigation is ongoing to clarify the facts and assess whether any criminal offences have occurred.”
The European Union Diplomatic Academy’s director, former Italian foreign minister Federica Mogherini, is also the rector of the College of Europe and previously served as the head of the EEAS.
The EPPO stressed that all persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty (December 2).
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