National security committee hearing confirms no surveillance of Soros

Budapest, June 6 (MTI) – It was confirmed at Monday’s meeting of parliament’s national security committee that the Hungarian secret services did not carry out any surveillance of Hungarian-born US financier George Soros and no reports were made in connection with him or the organisations he supports, the committee’s chairman said.

Zsolt Molnár (Socialist) told the press that the meeting had discussed a “series of events dubbed the Soros case”. The case actually concerned civil organisations “acting in good faith” that had been abused by criminals. These organisations have been mentioned in reports about the human smugglers and traffickers associated with the route of migrants through the Balkans, he added.

Government office chief János Lázár recently said that secret service reports suggested that Soros had been behind attempts to manipulate public opinion in Hungary. “There are no migrant-friendly, opposition-leaning organisations that are not financed by Soros,” he said earlier. Soros is behind left-wing opposition opinions voiced over the migrant issue, as he is their biggest sponsor, he added.

On a different subject, Molnár said Lázár had promised to provide detailed information to the committee in September about the planned Paks nuclear power plant investment project and its possible national security risks.

Meanwhile, Bernadett Szél, a committee member (opposition LMP), told a press conference that she had asked Lázár whether “the government has managed to clear up the mess” in connection with the so-called Pharaon case.

The case involves Ghaith Pharaon, a Saudi businessman on an FBI wanted list. Pharaon was allegedly behind a Jordanian businessman who bought a company which had ties with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s son in law. The weekly Heti Válasz reported in April that the company which owns the former Postabank headquarters on József Nádor Square has been sold to Pharaon by a company associated with István Tiborcz.

Szél said she was said to hear that this issue has not been cleared up, so LMP will initiate a meeting of the national security committee to consider the case.

Photo: MTI

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