VOICE OF DISSIDENT EUROPE: Kiev corruption is contagious. Former EU foreign policy chief arrested and charged with fraud and corruption.

Federica Mogherini was detained and questioned earlier this week over misuse of EU funds.

Former top EU diplomat Federica Mogherini has been formally charged with procurement fraud. She also faces charges of corruption, conflict of interest, and violation of professional secrecy. This has been announced by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO).

Mogherini was detained on Tuesday. She served as both European Commission vice president and foreign policy chief from 2014 to 2019.

She was appointed rector of the College of Europe, an elite Bruges university for junior diplomats, in 2020.

In a statement on Tuesday, the EPPO said it launched a probe into the EU Diplomatic Academy. This is a nine-month program awarded by the EEAS to the College of Europe. It was under Mogherini in 2021-2022 after a tender.

The EPPO said it had strong suspicions of fraud in the awarding process. It also mentioned having information that confidential procurement details were shared with the school beforehand. This sharing gave the school an unfair advantage.

The EPPO initially announced something important. The rector had been detained in the investigation. A senior College of Europe staff member was also detained. Furthermore, a senior European Commission official was detained.

The report did not name the suspects. However, media outlets quickly linked Mogherini to the case. This was because the school only has one rector.

Reports citing sources identified another person. This person is a senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino. He served as the EEAS secretary-general from 2021 to 2024.

In a separate statement on Wednesday, the agency said all three were formally notified of the accusations against them. They have been released after initial questioning, and no indictments have been issued so far, as the probe is ongoing.

Analysts suggested that the scandal would spark the EU’s biggest crisis in years. This is due to the suspects’ high profiles and the seriousness of the accusations.

Other commentators noted that the investigation comes at a time when Brussels is pressuring other countries over corruption.

They argue that Brussels has little authority to pressure others while its own institutions are implicated in a scandal.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on the scandal. She said on Tuesday that EU officials prefer to ignore their own problems. They are constantly lecturing everyone else.

You can and should share this story on social media. TELL US WHAT YOU THINK

CLICK PICTURE TO GO FROM BURN OUT TO CHILL OUT WITH A GOOD BOOK https://michaelwalshbooks.wordpress.com/