Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini and two others have been formally accused of procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy.
The three individuals were detained on Tuesday as part of an EU fraud investigation and have now been released while the investigation is ongoing, the European Public Prosecutor's Office said on Wednesday.
It added that they were not considered a flight risk.
EPPO referred to the other two suspects as a senior staff member at the College of Europe in Bruges and a senior official from the European Commission.
Three sources told Reuters that one of the detainees was senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino.
Neither Mogherini nor Sannino could be reached for comment.
"All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts of law," EPPO also said.
The investigation focuses on allegations of favouritism in awarding a training programme for future EU diplomats.
The iniative, run by the European External Action Service (EEAS), was assigned to the College of Europe, an elite institution that has trained Europe’s civil service since 1949.
Belgian police carried out searches at both the EEAS offices in Brussels and the College of Europe campus in Bruges as part of the inquiry.
Mogherini, who led the EU’s diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019, currently serves as rector of the College of Europe. Sannino, formerly EEAS secretary general, now holds the role of director general for the Commission’s Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf department.
Both the EEAS and the College of Europe have pledged full cooperation with authorities, reaffirming their commitment to transparency and integrity.
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Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed a series of trade and cooperation agreements with China during his four-day visit to Beijing, the first by a Canadian premier in eight years.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has secured a temporary agreement between Russia and Ukraine to allow repairs on the last backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Lithuanian prosecutors have charged six foreign nationals with terrorism over an alleged plot to attack a private military supplier providing aid to Ukraine.
British Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy arrived in Ukraine’s capital on Friday to attend the 100-Year Partnership Forum and meet Ukrainian leaders, highlighting ongoing cooperation between London and Kyiv.
At least four people were injured after a large fire and explosions hit a residential building in the Dutch city of Utrecht, authorities said.
A crane collapse at a construction site near Bangkok has killed two people and injured five others on Thursday, Thai police said, a day after a separate crane accident derailed a train in northeastern Thailand, killing dozens.
Ukraine has declared a state of emergency in its energy sector after sustained Russian attacks severely damaged power and heating infrastructure, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Wednesday.
A railway power outage in Tokyo disrupted the morning commute for roughly 673,000 passengers on Friday (16 January) as two main lines with some of the world's busiest stations were halted after reports of a fire.
Iran reopened its airspace late on Wednesday after a near five-hour closure that disrupted airline traffic, amid heightened concerns over possible military escalation involving the United States.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has signed a series of trade and cooperation agreements with China during his four-day visit to Beijing, the first by a Canadian premier in eight years.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has secured a temporary agreement between Russia and Ukraine to allow repairs on the last backup power line at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant.
Lithuanian prosecutors have charged six foreign nationals with terrorism over an alleged plot to attack a private military supplier providing aid to Ukraine.
British Justice Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy arrived in Ukraine’s capital on Friday to attend the 100-Year Partnership Forum and meet Ukrainian leaders, highlighting ongoing cooperation between London and Kyiv.
President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social on Thursday that Iran had cancelled more than 800 executions that were scheduled to take place.
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