Egyutt files criminal complaint over suspected Szell Kalman Square graft

Budapest (MTI) – Opposition party Egyutt has filed a criminal complaint in connection with the revamp of Szell Kalman Square.

The Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) “misappropriated the money of Budapest citizens” when it amended the contract in June to push back construction deadlines, thereby foregoing almost 600 million forints (EUR 1.85m) of late-delivery penalties, Egyutt lawmaker Marton Pataki told a press conference on Thursday. By the time this amendment took place, it was already clear that the project would not meet the original deadlines, he added.

According to the original contract signed in November, the third phase of the construction should have been completed by Thursday, but the work has been significantly delayed. The contractor should have paid 8 million forints (EUR 24,600) in penalties each day, Pataki noted.

Since public money is involved, this is a case of misappropriation, he added.

BKK in a statement dismissed the accusation that it had foregone the 600 million late-delivery penalty, saying that on November 24, 2014, it had signed a contract with the winner of the tender, and due to a delay in the public procurement procedure, the project started seven months late, causing some changes in seasonally adjusted performances and seasonal deliveries of technologies. The contractor had to adjust to work carried out over two winters and one summer instead of two summers and one winter. Accordingly the original deadline was changed, the statement said.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters