Jobbik to turn to Strasbourg court over state auditor fine

Jobbik is turning to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) over a fine levied on it by the State Audit Office (ÁSZ) last year.

In the spring, the party ran an anti-government poster campaign. The audit office conducted a financial investigation of the campaign, determining that Jobbik had received a sweetheart deal worth some 330 million forints in violation of the rules in force. It ordered the party to pay a penalty of double this amount.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Jobbik group leader János Volner called the more than 660 million forint (EUR 2.1m) fine levied on the party “unlawful”.

Volner said the state auditor’s fine had angered voters of all affiliations.

He insisted that ÁSZ had applied double standards by imposing the fine, arguing that ruling Fidesz had received a “more favourable deal” to rent ad hoardings than Jobbik, yet ÁSZ had found no irregularities in its finances.

As we wrote few weeks ago, the State Audit Office (SAO) has received the Public Prosecutor’s resolution stating that Jobbik did not obstruct the audit process. Read more HERE.

In response, ÁSZ called on Jobbik to refrain from using the independent state auditor for “campaign purposes”, and from “baseless vilification”.

ÁSZ emphasised that it had conducted the review of Jobbik by duly observing all the related rules and regulations.

Photo: MTI

Source: MTI