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The European Commission has dismissed one of its top officials, Henrik Hololei, after an internal investigation found him guilty of violating rules, three officials told Politico.
Hololei, an Estonian, was the subject of an investigation for alleged violations of rules on conflicts of interest, transparency, accepting gifts and document disclosure, according to documents first seen by Politico last year.
"I am disappointed, but I accept the Commission's decision and I am happy that this long process has finally come to a conclusion," said Hololei.
Hololei was previously a senior EU transport official at the Commission and most recently an Adviser Hors Classe in the Directorate-General for International Partnerships. He was notified on March 21, 2025, that he faced an internal disciplinary procedure by the Commission, according to documents first seen by Politico.
The investigation came after the European Public Prosecutor's Office opened a criminal investigation into corruption allegations. This was prompted by a report by the French newspaper Libération that said Hololei exchanged confidential details about a major aviation deal with Qatar in exchange for gifts.
The allegations were based on confidential findings from a 2023 investigation by the European Anti-Fraud Office, which was prompted by Politico's revelations.
"The European Commission has concluded a disciplinary procedure concerning a senior official," Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen told reporters on Thursday, without naming the official.
Three Commission officials with knowledge of the investigation confirmed that Hololei was the official in question. Two of them and a fourth official confirmed his dismissal. They were granted anonymity to speak openly about a confidential matter.
"This procedure established that the staff member in question violated the applicable rules," Virkkunen said. The College of Commissioners "has decided on appropriate and suitable measures to be applied to this senior official."
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