Opposition sets up unofficial committee to investigate Elios scandal

The opposition Socialist, LMP and Jobbik parties have set up a non-parliamentary “alternative committee” to look into public lighting procurements connected to the company Elios.

Socialist MP Tamás Harangozó said the parties had decided to form the committee because the authorities had been “reluctant” to deal with suspicions of corruption raised by European anti-fraud office OLAF. Harangozó insisted that documents his party had obtained from the cities of Szolnok and Kalocsa supported OLAF findings that “major budget fraud” had been “committed as part of a criminal organisation”.

LMP co-leader Ákos Hadházy insisted that the municipalities for public lighting had been “routinely” manipulated. For example, in Szekszárd, Elios had been tipped off about the planned procurement before the tender was announced, he said.

Jobbik MP György Szilágyi said that