Criminal organization in Budapest: Mayor Karácsony sacks BKV CEO
Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony’s office said on Monday that Tibor Bolla, the chief executive of Budapest transport company BKV, has been sacked.
In a statement, the office said it was not enough for Budapest-run company leaders to adhere to the law; they must also avoid giving the slightest impression of publicly associating with individuals accused of organised budget fraud.
Bolla’s dismissal came after a recent news article linked him to Zsolt F, who has been charged with organised tax fraud. Karácsony had asked Bolla to submit a report explaining his connection to Zsolt F and clarifying whether the other claims in the article were true, but the office said Bolla’s explanations “were not enough to dispel all doubts.” The mayor has appointed BKV deputy chief Péter Takács as the company’s acting CEO.
Earlier today, the opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) called for Bolla’s resignation, citing the article on his ties to Zsolt F. In a Facebook post, DK city councillor Tibor Déri said Zsolt F is believed to be a key figure of a criminal organisation that is suspected of having been embedded in BKV for years, siphoning billions out of the company through overpriced contracts and fake subsidiaries. According to the article, Déri not only had business dealings with BKV but was also close friends with Bolla. He said that while several arrests have been made in the case, Bolla—who has been at the helm of BKV for 13 years—was never even questioned by police. “The question isn’t whether Tibor Bolla himself has broken any laws, but whether he can be responsible for a company … financed from public funds with this shadow hanging over him,” Déri said.
Alexandra Szentkirályi, the leader of ruling Fidesz in the Budapest city assembly, said on Facebook that all Budapest-run company leaders should resign and that new CEOs should be chosen transparently.
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