Politico: Kövesi Investigates Direct Contracts for Migrant Facilities
The European Prosecutor is probing contracts and inflated costs tied to two migrant centers built in Greece during 2020-2021, spotlighting potential misuse of EU funds amid pandemic urgency.
The two facilities at the center of the investigation are the Malakasa center in Attica and the Sintiki center in Serres. The total cost reached 11.3 million euros. According to senior Greek officials familiar with the case, European authorities are closely examining how the procedures advanced amid the pandemic, when responsibility for construction was fully transferred to the Greek side.
At Malakasa, the initial contract from April 2020 provided 4.3 million euros for hosting 1,500 people. With five extensions and one supplementary contract, the cost increased by 1.7 million euros. A similar pattern was followed in the project in Serres, where the expenditure rose by the same amount from the initial 3.6 million euros after three extensions.
An internal document from an international organization shows that the European Union has funded similar facilities at costs up to 15 times lower. The cost per beneficiary at Malakasa reached 23,900 euros, while in other comparable projects it did not exceed 270 euros.
The case sparked intense discussions as early as 2020. The government at the time invoked urgent needs to relieve overcrowding on the islands. A spokesperson for the European Public Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment when asked, as is customary with ongoing investigations.
The information comes from senior Greek officials and a Politico report. The investigation is ongoing.
