Federica Mogherini, the former foreign policy and security chief of the European Union (EU), on Thursday resigned from her role as rector of the College of Europe.

Mogherini and two other suspects were briefly detained on Tuesday during police searches of the EU's diplomatic service in Brussels, and the College of Europe campus in Bruges.

Mogherini, 52, served as the EU's top diplomat from 2014 to 2019, before becoming rector of the college. She was also Italy's foreign minister for six months in 2014.

Why is Mogherini under investigation?

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) said its fraud investigation was targeting the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the College of Europe, a postgraduate institute that focuses on European studies.

The probe is related to an EU-funded training course for diplomats, known as the European Union Diplomatic Academy.

The EU diplomat training program was awarded to the College of Europe by the EEAS during 2021-2022. Police are investigating whether the tender process unduly favored the school.

Mogherini's lawyer has said she denies any wrongdoing and was cooperating with authorities.

In a statement on Thursday, Mogherini said, "In line with the utmost rigour and fairness with which I always carried out my duties, today I decided to resign."

What else do we know about the corruption inquiry?

Mogherini was detained along with the College of Europe's deputy rector and senior EU official Stefano Sannino, who was secretary general at the EEAS from 2021 to 2024.

The EPPO, which is leading the investigation, said Thursday that the three suspects were questioned by Belgian police and "were formally notified of the accusations against them."

The EPPO is responsible for investigating, prosecuting and bringing to judgment crimes against the financial interests of the EU.

In a statement, the EPPO said the allegations relate to "procurement fraud and corruption, conflict of interest and violation of professional secrecy."

Mogherini had been the rector of the College of Europe since 2020. In 2022, she took over at the EU Diplomatic Academy.

Sannino said Wednesday that he would retire at the end of the month from his role at the European Commission's Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa and the Gulf.     

Edited by Sean Sinico