"The EPPO said that its investigation was focused on a "nine-month training program for junior diplomats" and its tender process in 2021 and 2022, which the EU's diplomatic service the EEAS had awarded to the College of Europe."
""The investigation focuses on whether the College of Europe and/or their representatives were informed in advance about the selection criteria of the tender procedure and had sufficient reason to believe that they would be awarded the implementation of the project, prior to the official production by the EEAS of the tender notice," the EPPO said."
"It said there were "strong suspicions" that a fair competition regulation was breached, and "that confidential information related to the ongoing procurement was shared with one of the candidates participating in the tender." The facts under investigation, the EPPO said, could constitute "procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy.""
Federica Mogherini was one of three suspects detained during police searches of the European External Action Service in Brussels and the College of Europe campus in Bruges. The European Public Prosecutor's Office opened a fraud investigation targeting a nine-month training program for junior diplomats and the 2021–2022 tender the EEAS awarded to the College of Europe. Investigators are probing whether the College or its representatives received advance information about selection criteria and expected to win the contract before the EEAS published the tender notice. Authorities suspect breaches of fair competition rules and possible sharing of confidential procurement information, which could amount to procurement fraud, corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy. Suspects' homes were searched and Belgian law presumes innocence until proven guilty.
Read at www.dw.com
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