Budapest, November 4 (MTI) – Materials and equipment used in the recent construction of the border fence between Hungary and Serbia were purchased at 5-8 times the market price, the radical nationalist Jobbik party said on Wednesday.

Jobbik deputy leader Istvan Apati said that the government had provided “confusing” answers to relevant questions and added that his party would file a criminal complaint under suspicion of abuse of public funds.

Apati said that his party had supported the government’s initiative to secure the country’s southern border with a fence, but “cannot let it pass” that extravagant amounts should be spent on the project.

For example, Apati said that the bladed wire used for the fence had been purchased at 2,800 forints per metre, whereas its market price was a mere 600 forints. Similarly, safety vests, available at 300 forints apiece, were bought at a price of 2,400 forints each, and the sum of 1.2 million forints was paid for 350 simple padlocks, he said. He added that three bulldosers were bought for 91 million forints, whereas they were not worth more than 15-20 million each.

Calculations based on documents from the government put the total cost of the fence construction at 10 billion forints, while economy minister Mihaly Varga said it had cost the central budget 40 billion forints, and budget reserves to cover costs incurred in connection with illegal migration had been increased to 60 billion, Apati said.

Photo: MTI

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