Jobbik: Hungarian ministers do business with the criminal Pharaon

Talking in the Hungarian Parliament, Jobbik MP Márton Gyöngyösi criticized the government for tolerating the dubious affairs of Mr. Pharaon, an individual sought by international police organizations.

“While the past year has been all about the anti-quota campaign and the rightful efforts to protect our homeland, there have been more and more news reports about businessmen with dubious background conducting an extensive business activity in Hungary with government-related individuals or even government members,” Jobbik MP Márton Gyöngyösi emphasized in the Wednesday session of the National Assembly.

In his speech on urgent and topical matters, the politician reminded the MPs that Ghaith Pharaon had already been wanted by the FBI two decades ago and was still sought by the Interpol. Mr. Pharaon has been associated by the French Parliament with financing terrorism, while the international media keeps referring to him as one of the most wanted white-collar criminals in the world.

Aided by the government, Mr. Pharaon conducts a business activity in Hungary, including buying heritage-listed facilities. He is the owner of the Seregélyes and Hőgyész Palaces, the Kútvölgyi Villa in PM Orbán’s immediate neighbourhood as well as the Postabank Building which he bought from a company belonging to István Tiborcz.

In Gyöngyösi’s view, several government members have clearly been aiding Mr. Pharaon’s business in a network-like association. The MP said out of the 11 ministries in Hungary, the following 5 ministers have been directly or indirectly involved in aiding the businessmen’s activities:

– Head of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Antal Rogán, by introducing the residency bonds,
– Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, since the Hungarian National Trading House has a joint venture with a company of Mr. Pharaon’s,
– Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga, whose budgetary motion enables businesses to write-off their costs incurred in terms of heritage-listed facilities from their corporate tax up to 31 bn HUF,
– Head of the Information Office János Lázár, who denied having heard of Mr. Pharaon,
– and Minister of Interior Sándor Pintér, since the authorities, despite having the relevant information, failed to fulfill their duties under international treaties by not arresting and not even looking for Mr. Pharaon.

Source: Press release – JOBBIK