FT: Belgian police raid European commission offices in real estate probe

Belgian police have carried out searches at the European Commission as part of an investigation into potential irregularities in the sale of EU real estate assets, according to two people familiar with the operation.

The searches took place on the morning of February 12 at several Commission premises in Brussels, including the budget department, the sources told The Financial Times.

The investigation relates to the sale of EU-owned properties during the previous European Commission mandate, when Johannes Hahn served as budget commissioner. Hahn oversaw the European Union’s €1 trillion budget until 2024 and was later appointed the EU’s special envoy for Cyprus.

The probe is being led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and concerns 23 buildings that were acquired in 2024 by Belgium’s sovereign wealth fund, SFPIM, for €900 million. At the time of the transaction, the Commission said the sale had been conducted in accordance with EU financial regulations.

“The EPPO can confirm that it is conducting evidence-collecting activities in an ongoing investigation,” EPPO spokesperson Tine Hollevoet said. “There is nothing else that we can share at this stage, in order not to endanger the ongoing procedures and their outcome.”

A spokesperson for the European Commission said that “the sale of the buildings followed established procedures and protocols, and we are confident that the process was conducted in a compliant manner”, adding that the EU executive “will co-operate fully with EPPO and the competent Belgian authorities on this issue”.

The EU’s anti-fraud watchdog, OLAF, declined to comment, as did the Belgian federal police. SFPIM and Hahn did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

By Sabina Mammadli