Since then, Hololei took up a new role with a reduction in pay as Hors Classe Adviser at the Directorate-General for International Partnerships. He was notified on March 21 of this year that he faced an internal disciplinary procedure from the Commission, according to the documents seen by POLITICO.
“This internal disciplinary procedure is ongoing and is carried out within a reasonable period of time, account being taken of both the interests of the institution and of the person concerned,” a Commission spokesperson said when asked.
The Commission’s probe, overseen by Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin, examines “potential breaches” of four articles of the Commission’s staff regulation. These pertain to “unauthorized acceptance of gifts,” “conflict of interest,” “unauthorized disclosure of documents” and “breach of the rules on transparency and the Commission Guide to Missions,” per the document.
If a staffer is found to be in breach of the Commission’s internal regulations, penalties can range from a written reprimand to removal from their job and reduction in their pension payouts. (The Commission’s Investigation and Disciplinary Office oversees internal disciplinary proceedings involving the institution’s own staff.)
In a written response to questions from French Socialist member of the European Parliament Chloé Ridel late last year, Serafin wrote that there was no “evidence of criminal conduct” in the report on Hololei by the fraud office, which is also known as OLAF. Ridel then told POLITICO she was disappointed that the Commission hadn’t considered suspending an air travel agreement between the EU and Qatar that Hololei helped to negotiate.
“The Commission’s refusal to consider suspending the agreement … is particularly bold, especially at a time when European citizens’ trust in their institutions has already been severely shaken,” she said in a written statement on April 10.