Former European Commission vice-president and ex-head of the EU's foreign service, Federica Mogherini, has been detained as Belgian authorities investigate alleged misuse of European Union funds, Belgian and French media reports have revealed Tuesday.

Homes and offices are reportedly being raided in connection, though no formal charges were immediately made public for Mogherini. The action includes Belgian police searches at the Brussels headquarters of the European External Action Service (EEAS), which Mogherini led for a half-decade, from 2014 to 2019.

Police were also seen searching offices at the College of Europe in Bruges, where she has served as rector since 2020. The probe is reportedly related to her long stint overseeing the financing of the what serves as an academy for young diplomats.

Another College of Europe employee who serves in an executive office was also detained, as well as top European Commission official Stefano Sannino, who was previously the EEAS secretary-general under Mogherini.

Police have recovered documents said to be related to the three detained officials' potentially criminal activities, based on suspicion of procurement fraud, corruption, and conflicts of interest.

Belgian police confirmed an investigation was ongoing "to assess whether any criminal offences have occurred”, adding: “All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty by the competent Belgian courts of law."

The case may center on the college's purchase of a building and involves several millions of euros. According to details in The Guardian:

The case is an unprecedented investigation by the European public prosecutor’s office (EPPO), the only EU body that handles criminal cases, which was launched in 2021 to combat cross-border fraud involving EU funds. The EPPO can bring criminal cases in courts in any of the 24 EU member states that have joined it, including Belgium.

The case centres on whether the College of Europe and or its representatives were informed in advance about the tender for a training programme for young diplomats before the official launch of the bidding process.

The EPPO said it had “strong suspicions” that the rules on fair competition had been breached and that confidential information had been shared with one of the candidates taking part in the tender. The College of Europe in Bruges was awarded a contract to run the European Union Diplomatic Academy in 2021-22 after a decision from the EU foreign service. The EPPO said immunity of the three suspects had been lifted at its request.

The arrested officials are suspected of trading in confidential information and breaching fair competition laws.

Another source reviewing the probe details the following:

The probe reportedly focuses on the college’s €3.2 million ($3.7 million) purchase of a building on Spanjaardstraat in Bruges, in 2022, shortly before receiving €654,000 in funding from the EEAS. Authorities suspect the institution may have had access to confidential information, undermining fair competition. 

An EU diplomat has been cited in The Guardian praising the European public prosecutor’s office as it "is not afraid to go after big names." The diplomat added: "If the allegations are true, they should be severely punished to send a clear message that any type of corruption is not tolerable in the EU."

As for the College of Europe, many of its graduates go on to senior roles within European institutions and political bodies. All of this is certain to spur on suspicion among sectors of the general public that EU elite circles could be a hotbed for corruption, given billions in public funds are constantly doled out and transferred this way and that.