College d’Europe: Mogherini and Sannino formally charged with fraud and corruption

Brussels – Federica Mogherini has been formally charged with corruption and fraud. The former High Representative for the EU’s foreign and security policy was formally listed as a suspect after being questioned in connection with a raid conducted on 2 December by the Belgian federal police, acting on a request from the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

The raid that also saw the indictment of Stefano Sannino, Italy’s former permanent representative to the European Union and head of the Middle East, North Africa, and the Gulf Directorate-General at the European Commission, and Cesare Zegretti, an Italian-Belgian citizen since January 2022 and co-director of Executive Education, Training & Projects Office at the College of Europe. 

The three detainees were all released late at night without conditions at the end of questioning. For all of them, says the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, the charges are the same: procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy. 

Mogherini’s defence lawyer merely told the Belgian media that the questioning had been lengthy and had gone smoothly, without offering any further remarks, just as the investigators did.