OREANDA-NEWS It is the duty of the authorities to find out who is responsible under criminal law for the malpractices and irregularities surrounding the metro line 4 project, but political responsibility clearly lies with the liberal-socialist metropolitan leadership and government in office at the time, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács said.
Mr Kovács said on the programme 180 Minutes of Kossuth Rádió: it is absolutely clear that this case is about the “complex collusion” of the metropolitan leadership and government in office at the time and international companies, a major crime on their part, “every element of which must be uncovered, but this is not the Government’s duty”. According to the Government Spokesperson, due to the more than half a dozen specific crimes and breaches uncovered in the report of the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Government had no choice, but to file a report with the prosecution service in the case.

He remarked: there are instances when there is scope for disputing the findings, for instance, when the parties construe one and the same rule in different ways, he said in reference to the asphalt case closed last year which originally conveyed the threat of a fine of HUF 120-140 billion.

In answer to the question as to whether the OLAF report could be construed as a criticism levelled at the administration of justice in Hungary, Mr Kovács said: “we may have to review a few issues concerning the extent of internal audits and the stringency of monitoring”.

The Government Spokesperson said regarding the management of illegal migration on the public service news channel M1: in addition to reinforcing the fence installed on the southern border and reinstating immigration detention, the Government would like to find a legal solution to ensure that migrants may not freely move in Hungary until there is a final and absolute judgement or ruling on their applications.

Experiences show that illegal migrants “abuse European law as a matter of course”: between the judgements passed at first and second instance, they simply disappear in Western-Europe, despite the fact that the right of free movement within the Schengen Area is the sole privilege of European nationals, Mr Kovács stressed.