Belgian police raided European Commission offices in Brussels on Thursday as part of an investigation into potential irregularities in the sale of EU real estate assets, the Financial Times reported, citing two people familiar with the operation.

The searches were carried out at multiple Commission sites, including the budget department, the report said. The investigation concerns the sale of EU properties during the previous Commission mandate, when Johannes Hahn served as budget commissioner, according to the people cited by the newspaper.

The probe is being led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office and relates to 23 buildings that were acquired by Belgium’s sovereign wealth fund, SFPIM, for 900 million euros in 2024, the FT reported. At the time, the Commission said the transaction was tendered in compliance with EU financial regulation.

An EPPO spokesperson, Tine Hollevoet, told the FT that the office could confirm it was conducting evidence-collecting activities in an ongoing investigation but would not provide further details to avoid endangering procedures and outcomes.

Read more at the Financial Times