Brussels

'Fraud on training programmes': former minister Mogherini, former ambassador Sannino and Belgian-Italian Zegretti arrested

The third detained from January 2022 is Co-Director of the Executive Education, Training and Projects Office. Politico reports

2 December 2025Aggiornato alle ore 19:25

Federica Mogherini con Stefano Sannino (Italy Photo Press)

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Among the three people arrested as part of the European Public Prosecutor's Office investigation into alleged fraud in the use of EU funds for training programmes, one is the director of the College of Europe in Bruges and former High Representative for Foreign Policy (2014-2019), Federica Mogherini. This was reported by the Belgian media Le Soir and L'Echo citing reliable sources, namely Euractiv. Mogherini was minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation from 22 February to 31 October 2014 in the Renzi government

The investigation concerns suspicions of favouritism and possible unfair competition in the allocation by the EEAS (European External Action Service) to the prestigious College of Europe of a nine-month training programme for future European diplomats.

The alleged offences date from the period 2021-2022 and, according to the European Public Prosecutor's Office, possible charges include 'fraud in the awarding of public contracts, corruption, conflict of interest and breach of professional secrecy'.

The investigators are trying to establish 'whether the College of Europe or its representatives were informed in advance of the selection criteria' within the framework of the tender launched by the EU diplomatic service for a training programme.

In addition to Mogherini, among those detained is Stefano Sannino, former secretary general of the EEAS, who is now director general of the European Commission's Directorate General for the Middle East and North Africa. Sannino was the Italian ambassador to Madrid.

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As Le Soir reminds us, the European Public Prosecutor's Office (Eppo), established in 2021, is an independent EU body in charge of combating fraud against EU funds and any other crime affecting its financial interests (corruption, money laundering, cross-border VAT fraud). This supranational body is in charge of investigating, but also prosecuting and bringing to justice those responsible for such crimes, a new power that the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) does not have.

Belgian federal police carried out searches at the headquarters of the European External Action Service in Brussels, at the College of Europe in Bruges and in some private homes.

The operations started at dawn, with the seizure of documents and three detentions for questioning on charges of fraud in public procurement, bribery and criminal conflict of interest. According to a witness, about ten plainclothes officers entered the Eeas premises around 7.30 a.m.

Also Zegretti, manager of the College of Europe

The third person detained, after Federica Mogherini and Stefano Sannino, in the investigation into the alleged fraud in the use of EU funds for training programmes involving the EEAS and the College of Europe, would be Cesare Zegretti, an Italian-Belgian and since January 2022 Co-Director of the Executive Education, Training and Projects Office. Politico reports.

Mr Zegretti joined the College of Europe in January 2016 as Project Coordinator and has over ten years of professional experience in business development, design and international project management. He holds a Master's degree in International Relations and a Bachelor's degree in Political Science, both from LUISS University in Rome.