Ex-EU foreign policy chief arrested in corruption probe
The European Union’s former foreign policy chief is facing corruption accusations, along with two others arrested this week as part of a fraud investigation, prosecutors announced on Wednesday. This marks the latest scandal to affect the 27-nation bloc.
The arrest of Federica Mogherini, who led the EU foreign service from 2014 to 2019, risked tarnishing the EU’s international image just as it seeks to assert influence in negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The EU has been urging Ukraine to tackle rampant corruption, News.Az reports citing foreign media.
Authorities in Belgium made the arrests on Tuesday after raiding the offices of the EU diplomatic service in Brussels and a college in Bruges. Ms Mogherini now serves as the rector of the College of Europe, a prestigious institute of European studies.
The European Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that Ms Mogherini, a senior staff member of the college and a senior official from the European Commission were detained at its request and questioned by the Belgian Federal Judicial Police.
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