The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) has opened an investigation against the European Commission over alleged irregularities in the sale of real‑estate to the Belgian state, Brussels announced on Thursday.
During the morning, several sites of the Commission in Brussels-including the Directorate-General for Budget-were searched in connection with the case. Reports suggest that the inquiry concerns properties sold while former Budget Commissioner Johannes Hahn was in office. Hahn has since been appointed the EU’s special envoy to Cyprus.
According to the “Financial Times”, the probe targets 23 buildings that were purchased by the Belgian state fund SFPIM for €900 million. The Commission had previously stated that the sale complied with EU financial regulations.
