Budapest assembly approves report blaming Socialist-liberal city leadership in metro corruption case

The Budapest assembly has approved a report blaming the former Socialist-liberal city leadership for irregularities highlighted by OLAF, the European anti-fraud office, in connection with construction of the capital’s fourth metro line.

City lawmakers asked the mayor to send the findings of the report by a special working group examining graft related to the investment to the public prosecutor’s office.

Wednesday’s motion received 22 votes in favour and 6 abstentions.

According to the working group, the hearings of the former executives and supervisory board members of Budapest transport company BKV revealed that the company’s decision-making had been formal and brought about by former Budapest mayor Gábor Demszky, his former deputies and his cabinet.

“The investment up to 2010 was directly enabled due to Socialist-liberal influence and control,” the report states.

These parties are faced with full financial, legal and moral responsibility for the corruption-tainted public procurement contracts, it added.

Photo: Daily News Hungary

Source: MTI