LMP files criminal report about alleged Eximbank loan for TV2 purchase – UPDATE

Budapest, December 16 (MTI) – The green opposition LMP will file a criminal report for abuse of power and mismanagement against an unknown perpetrator in connection with Eximbank lending 6.72 billion forints (EUR 21.3m) to government commissioner Andrew G Vajna’s company to buy media group TV2, according to press reports.

LMP co-leader Andras Schiffer told a press conference on Wednesday that the bank should not “stuff the pockets of a government-friendly offshore knight with loans”.

Even the 2.5 billion forints that Vajna has used as his own financing in the transaction “probably comes from Hungarian taxpayer money”, Schiffer said. Through his gambling business Vajna has received 3 billion forints as a “gift” from “his friends governing the country”, he added.

Schiffer said when fellow LMP lawmaker Erzsebet Schmuck recently asked the foreign minister “for how long will Eximbank function as a source of financing to oligarchs close to the government”, the ministry responded that Eximbank had not provided a state-subsidised loan in the transaction. The ministry also said that in line with a parliamentary decision, Eximbank was allowed to provide financing to businesses based in Hungary for investments that boost their international competitiveness.

Schiffer said that it was unclear what export activities Vajna’s company could be involved in.

Janos Lazar, head of the government office, said that Eximbank had furnished Vajna’s company with a loan “on market conditions” without any state subsidy.

Radical nationalist Jobbik also said on Wednesday that it expects an explanation on Eximbank’s transfer of a subsidised loan to Vajna’s company. Deputy party leader Elod Novak told a press conference that such a loan had nothing to do with Eximbank’s tasks, which is to boost exports, and with the move the bank was “serving Fidesz’s party interests”. He described Vajna as Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s “two-armed bandit” who is not satisfied with annual 3 billion forints in profit from his casinos and now takes out a loan from a state-owned bank to buy TV2.

Eximbank said in reaction to the reports that it had not provided a subsidised loan to purchase TV2. In a statement, the bank insisted that their lending activities are not influenced by “the name of the applicant” nor “the opinion of political parties or economic groups”.

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