Belgian authorities on Tuesday arrested three individuals following raids on EU offices and the College of Europe as part of an investigation into suspected fraud linked to the training of future diplomats, prosecutors said.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) said searches were carried out at the College of Europe in Bruges and at the Brussels offices of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the EU’s diplomatic service. “Three suspects were detained,” the EPPO said, describing the raids as “part of a probe into suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats.”
Belgian federal police executed the searches at the request of the EPPO, targeting several buildings and the homes of suspects. An EU official confirmed the raids and said investigators were reviewing activities that occurred under previous mandates, noting that current EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas took office a year ago.
The investigation focuses on the European Union Diplomatic Academy, a nine-month program for junior diplomats awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe in 2021-2022. The EPPO said there are “strong suspicions” that confidential information from the procurement process was shared with one of the candidates, raising concerns of potential procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest, and breaches of professional secrecy.
Authorities obtained the lifting of immunity for several suspects before carrying out the searches. The EPPO emphasized that the investigation is ongoing to clarify facts and determine whether any criminal offenses occurred.
The probe is also supported by the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), which first reported the suspected irregularities.
