The European Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the management of EU funds related to two migrant facility construction projects in Malakasa and Sintiki during the 2020–21 period, according to a report by Kathimerini. The investigation focuses on possible overpricing, as well as the process through which the projects were directly awarded without an open tender, under the justification of the emergency conditions created by migration pressures — particularly the Evros border crisis — and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Malakasa facility, intended to accommodate the transfer of approximately 1,500 people from the islands, began with a €4.3 million contract, followed by an additional supplementary contract worth €1.7 million and at least five extensions before the project was completed. Similarly, the Sintiki facility in Serres, with a capacity of 900 people, started with an initial cost of €3.6 million, later received two additional supplementary contracts totaling €1.7 million, and was granted at least three extensions.
Authorities had justified the direct award procedures by citing an “urgent necessity” caused by the migration crisis and the pandemic.
According to an internal document from an international organization cited by Kathimerini, the project costs appeared significantly inflated compared to similar EU-funded interventions, with discrepancies ranging from +5% to +288%, while in several cases prices were reported to be nearly double. The same document states that the cost per beneficiary in the Malakasa facility was estimated at approximately €3,900, compared to around €270 in other comparable facilities.
Source: Κathimerini
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