Top EU official fired over Qatar corruption probe and lavish gifts
A senior EU official has been dismissed following an investigation into alleged corruption. Henrik Hololei, former director-general of the European Commission's transport division, was fired after a probe into gifts he reportedly received from Qatar. The case began with a criminal investigation and later led to internal disciplinary action.
The European Commission opened disciplinary proceedings against Hololei on 21 March 2025. The move came after the European Public Prosecutor's Office launched a criminal case over suspected corruption. Authorities examined whether Hololei had violated rules by accepting uncommon goods worth tens of thousands of euros.
The gifts in question were allegedly received between 2016 and 2019, during negotiations for the EU-Qatar open skies agreement. Hololei had led the Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport until his departure in March 2023.
After completing its internal investigation, the Commission confirmed his dismissal. Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice President of the Commission, publicly announced the outcome of the disciplinary procedure and the official's removal from office.
The case marks the end of a lengthy probe into potential misconduct by a high-ranking EU official. Hololei's firing follows both criminal and administrative scrutiny over his dealings with Qatar. No European Commissioner was involved or dismissed in connection with this investigation.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
