During the most recent joint meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice, and Home Affairs (LIBE) and the Committee on Budgetary Control (CONT) of the European Parliament, attended by Laura Kövesi, head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, PiS MEP Mariusz Kamiński raised the shocking case of Henrik Hololei, the former director of the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE).
While the European Commission was negotiating an open-skies agreement with Qatar, Hololei regularly took advantage of luxurious, free business-class flights on Qatar Airways. As an OLAF (European Anti-Fraud Office) report revealed, these trips—worth tens of thousands of euros—were funded by Qatar and included not only the official himself but also his family. This involved not only flights but also exclusive hotels and gifts.
In response to a question from Mariusz Kamiński, the head of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the European Commission had concealed the OLAF report from her institution, and that the investigation into Hololei was launched only after media reports.
In light of these findings, Mariusz Kamiński submitted an inquiry to the European Commission, in which he highlighted key passages from the OLAF report. He emphasized that despite the obvious conflict of interest, the Commission concluded that no violation of the rules had occurred. Furthermore—in accordance with applicable procedures—it was Hololei himself who assessed whether the benefits he accepted could give rise to a conflict of interest.
In his parliamentary question, the MEP demands an explanation as to why the European Commission withheld the OLAF report from the public and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Kamiński also asks why, despite serious allegations, no decision was made to immediately dismiss Henrik Hololei, and why he was instead transferred to a lucrative advisory position.
Kamiński emphasizes that Hololei—who is currently under investigation—was hired as a top-level advisor (Hors Classe Adviser), with a monthly salary amounting to several thousand euros.
In the Polish MEP’s view, the European Commission should reexamine the Open Skies Agreement concluded with Qatar. According to many aviation market experts, this agreement favors Qatar’s national carrier without providing any significant benefits to European airlines.
