UPDATE 1-Former senior EU diplomat Mogherini resigns as rector amid fraud probe

Mogherini's lawyer said she denied any wrongdoing and was cooperating with the investigation. Senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino, another suspect in the case, said in an email seen by Reuters on Wednesday that he will retire early this month, adding that he does not consider it appropriate to continue amid the probe.

Former EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini has resigned as rector of the College of Europe amid a fraud probe, she said in a statement on Thursday.

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) this week accused Mogherini and two others of procurement fraud and corruption. It has said the investigation concerns suspected fraud related to EU-funded training for junior diplomats. Mogherini's lawyer said she denied any wrongdoing and was cooperating with the investigation.

Senior EU diplomat Stefano Sannino, another suspect in the case, said in an email seen by Reuters on Wednesday that he will retire early this month, adding that he does not consider it appropriate to continue amid the probe. He said he was "confident that everything will be clarified". He has not responded to requests for comment made by Reuters.

Mogherini was the EU's high representative for foreign and security policy and head of its diplomatic service from 2014 to 2019. She became rector of the College of Europe, a post-graduate institute of European studies, in 2020. The 52-year-old Mogherini previously served for eight months as Italian foreign minister under Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's centre-left government, in what was at the time seen as a surprise choice given her relatively inexperienced profile.

Mogherini and Sannino, both Italian nationals, are well known in Brussels diplomatic circles, and news of the allegations sent shockwaves through the EU community. In a letter sent to staff of the EU's diplomatic service on Wednesday and seen by Reuters, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called the allegations "deeply shocking" but said they should not overshadow the good work done by the vast majority of employees.

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