Opposition reports suspected fraud to police linked to PM’s informal advisor

Budapest, April 8 (MTI) – The opposition Egyutt party has filed a report to police over suspected fraud linked to Árpád Habony, the prime minister’s informal advisor, the party’s leader said on Friday.

Viktor Szigetvári said Habony’s lawful income is insufficient for paying back loans and his wealth stems from murky sources, while he maintains links with people handling taxpayer money.

Szigetvári again called on the interior minister to carry out Habony’s national security screening because information has surfaced about his participation in various meetings in state institutions and the prime minister’s home. He also called on the tax office to check those who allegedly lent money to Habony. It is “customary with tax fraudsters” that they claim to have received loans from private individuals in order to cover up their unpaid taxes, Szigetvári added.

News portal 444.hu has reported that the tax office carried out a check on Habony in the spring of 2015. Habony cooperated with the authorities and stated that he had received private loans. According to the portal, these included an interest-free loan of 20 million forints for seven years received from Andras Tombor, the head of the supervisory board of the Tokaj Trading House, in the summer of 2009, and two loans totalling 150,000 US dollars received from film commissioner Andrew Vajna in 2010 and 2013.

Commenting on reports that Habony has filed a report to police for the violation of his tax confidentiality and threatened to take media outlets that carry related reports about him to court, Szigetvári said tax confidentiality was important and Habony has the right to file a report to police. However, the problem is that “a public personality should not voice threats against the free press, and Habony is actually a public personality who is obliged to supply information … and give an account of his growth of wealth”, Szigetvari said.

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