Alleged bribe of 2 billion paid for metro carriages

According to the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO), a bribe of 2.2 billion HUF was passed from Alstom to the Budapest Transport Corporation (BKV) to make sure the company wins the tender for metro carriages in 2006-2007, index.hu reports.

Four Alstom leaders, together with other, not yet named suspects, have been accused of corruption for giving or consenting to give €2.3 million to officers of BKV between January 1, 2006 and October 18, 2007.

The money was disguised as a fee for an advisory agreement set up between Alstom and the Austrian Eurocontact Public Affairs GmbH on June 8, 2006. Their aim was to secure a favourable position for Alstom in the competition for the acquisition of the M2 and M4 metro carriages. Another company, the Danish Hansel Consulting Aps was also involved, supposedly passing over €5 million from Alstom to the Budapest Transport Corporation.

It was not the first time Eurocontact came under scrutiny. In 2006 and 2008 the Austrian press raised concerns regarding the Strabag construction company, which allegedly offered “donations” up to several million Euros to the Hungarian Socialist and Free Democrat parties, delivered through Eurocontact.

According to index.hu, when contacted in connection with the Alstom case, Eurocontact acknowledged the existence of an advisory agreement between the companies, which had been fulfilled, but denied the accusations of the SFO.

Alstom is reported to have been involved in another BKV tender as well. According to a 2011 confession made in the Hagyó-case, a “questionable attempt” had been made to influence the outcome of the 2002 tram tender. This was eventually won by Siemens, but a couple of years later Alstom won something even greater: the delivery of the metro carriages.

Copy editor: bm

Source: index.hu