The European Commission (EC) announced that it is conducting disciplinary proceedings against a senior EU official - Estonian Henrik Hololei, former director general of the “Transport“ Directorate. The reason is suspicions of corrupt relations with Qatar, AFP reported, reports News.bg.
“On March 21, the relevant authorities decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings, which are currently underway. "Obviously, it is difficult for me to go into details, as the process has not been finalized," said EC spokesman Balazs Ujvari at a briefing in Brussels, answering a question on the subject.
According to him, the European Public Prosecutor's Office has not yet notified the Commission of the investigation it has launched.
According to publications in European media, while he was head of the “Transport“ Directorate, Hololej visited Doha several times between 2015 and 2021 - allegedly at the expense of the Qatari authorities. Some of the visits were accompanied by his family and included entertainment activities, which may constitute a violation of the rules on conflict of interest, transparency, acceptance of gifts and disclosure of documents.
Le Figaro recalls that during this period Hololej was negotiating the “Open Skies“ agreement, which gives Qatar Airways wider access to the airspace and markets of the European Union. In November last year, the European Public Prosecutor's Office announced that it was opening an investigation into the deal.
In parallel, the EC launched an internal investigation. After hearing Hololei, on March 21 the Commission decided to move from the pre-disciplinary to the disciplinary phase. If the suspicions are confirmed, the official could be subject to serious sanctions, including dismissal.
After the initial revelations, Hololei, 55, left his post as Director-General in 2023, taking a lower position in the EC - a political adviser, which he currently holds.
Le Figaro notes that this case adds to the already existing scandal, known as “Catargate“, related to corruption allegations in the European Parliament involving Qatar and Morocco since the end of 2022.