One of the companies involved in the controversial residency bond business has bought up dozens of apartments in Andrássy Avenue, perhaps the most elegant street of Budapest.
Continue readingThe Hungarian state gave them a good business. Now they own luxury apartments in Budapest
When public money goes to friends. This time through Jobbik
Jobbik paid millions to companies of the friends of one of its associates for writing political studies. Even though they do not have much to do with politics: one of them is a car mechanic, another is an accountant.
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The man behind Jobbik’s rise
Jobbik has become the second largest party in Hungary in only a few years. A low-profile man named Richárd Forrai played a key role in this as a major force in making Jobbik a professional political organization.
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How Brussels took on the son-in-law of Hungary’s Prime Minister
Two EU investigations are being conducted into the state contracts that were given to Elios Innovatív under suspicious circumstances. If the wrongdoing is proven, Hungary could face financial penalties.
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“At home I said that I got the money for a photo shooting”
Anybody who paid 230-300 euros per hour could enjoy the company of celebrities and porn stars. Behind a world full of money, luxury cars and fancy parties, however, there are unpaid bills and deplorable fates.
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The suspect, who had connections at the police and the secret service
The police carried out even a secret investigation to uncover an alleged prostitution network. In the meantime, however, the protagonist of the case, Lajos Répás had some connections at the police, and indirectly at the secret service as well.
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The police were interested in the prostitute. Not in her politician client
The police uncovered an alleged prostitution ring a few years ago. They looked into the background of those who paid for the prostitutes but ignored the politician clients.
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Names of luxury hotels where Lázár stayed have been revealed
The head of the Prime Minister’s Office stayed in fancy hotels in both cities: Four Seasons in Milan and Eden au Lac in Zurich.
Continue readingLázár lost another legal battle, hotel names have to be disclosed
The Curia upheld the previous verdict that forced the Prime Minister’s Office to reveal the names of the hotel where Lázár stayed in Milan and Zurich. Both trips drew attention because of unusually high hotel bills.
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When companies become black holes for EU funds
Public money was given to companies to make them stronger but many of them ended up in bankruptcy. A co-owner of one of these firms later was hired by the state to run one of the most important public companies.
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Police investigate the inexplicably high prices of Elios, former company of PM’s son-in-law
Dialogue for Hungary, an opposition party, filed the criminal complaint based on a recent article of Direkt36.
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Name of Lázár’s London hotel has to be disclosed, court rules
The Prime Minister’s Office has to disclose where János Lázár stayed on a trip to England in November 2012, which drew attention because of high hotel bills, a court ruled on Thursday. The ruling is not legally binding yet.
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A corruption investigation has been shrouded in secrecy. Now here is what happened
In district five of Budapest, arranging a restaurant licence cost 1.5 million forints in bribes, according to the prosecutors. One of the suspects is a businessman whose company had received lucrative contracts from the municipality.
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Hungary PM’s son-in-law left behind inexplicably overpriced lamps
A company until recently co-owned by Viktor Orbán’s son-in-law has been awarded public contracts to improve street lighting in several cities. A Direkt36 investigation revealed that the price of the lamps was unusually high, which raised the budget significantly in many cities.
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High costs covered car rental on Lázár’s visit in Zurich
Almost one thousand euros was spent on car rental during the two-day-long visit to Zurich of the head of the Prime Minister’s Office. He says he does not remember what type of car they used.
Continue readingLázár’s Milan hotel room cost 1.000 euros. Another 1.500 was spent on something else
The Prime Minister’s Office disclosed new details about those trips of János Lázár that drew attention because of unusually high hotel bills. Now it is known that substantial amount of money was spent on other expenses as well.
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2014 was a prosperous year for 5th district’s mysterious entrepreneur
Profits nearly tripled for the construction company that has been awarded lucrative contracts by the 5th district while its owner keeps working in a hotel as an employee.
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What we know about János Lázár’s mysterious trips (and what we don’t)
The Prime Minister’s Office has been guarding closely the details of the trips which initially drew attention because of high hotel bills but a yearlong lawsuit shed some light on them.
Continue readingMore details of Lázár’s foreign trips have to be disclosed, court rules
Direkt36 won another lawsuit against the Prime Minister’s Office over the secretive foreign trips of its chief, János Lázár. The court has ruled that the government has to disclose details of Lázár’s meetings.
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Mystery Entrepreneur: His Company Is Flush With State Money, Yet He Keeps Working as a Hotel Employee
The company received most of its contracts from Budapest 5th district, during the mayoral term of prominent government politician, Antal Rogán. Direkt36’s investigation also revealed that the firm has several links to a businessman who had close business relationship with the district in the past.
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