As Direkt36 exposed controversial expenditures at a publicly funded think tank ran by the son of a former PM, several officials decided to leave.
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Resignations follow our exposé of lavish spending at a pro-government think tank
PM Orbán tried to prevent hospital dramas with vaccination. In the end, he could only hide them
Despite flaws in February, how did the Hungarian government manage to present its epidemiological measures as a success in the eyes of the public? Here is the background story of Hungary’s third COVID-19 wave.
Continue readingWhile a tax audit is underway at his foundation, the earnings of Péter Antall rise high
The think tank of the late Hungarian PM has been awarded almost 5 million forints from the government so far, yet it made losses in 2020. Earlier, Direkt36 uncovered its problematic spending and costly travels.
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Around the world in luxury: How the son of a former PM benefits from Orbán’s regime
The think tank ran by Péter Antall has received lucrative support from Viktor Orbán’s government. Direkt36 has obtained internal documents about the organization’s lavish spending.
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Company with murky background is at the center of Hungary’s Chinese vaccine deal
Egyre több a kérdőjel a kínai vakcinák beszerzése körül. Az oltóanyagokat szállító cég mögött feltűnő egyik ember korábban jéghoki játékos volt, és ismerősei szerint egy energiaitalos cégnél dolgozik, komoly vállalkozása pedig soha nem volt – derítette ki a Direkt36.
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„Read this! It’s crazy!” How the machine of crypto investment fraudsters works
Fake news sites offering get-rich-quick opportunities lead people to criminals. The scammers trick Google and Facebook into promoting their offers.
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How sloppy coronavirus measures pushed healthcare workers to the brink of death
12 hours in surgical masks, a lack of testing and a string of nurses falling ill. In May, coronavirus tread down a hospital in Western Hungary.
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It started as a simple patient transfer, but then it showed the chaos in the coronavirus fight
In April, elderly patients were transferred between two Hungarian hospitals without testing. Thus, Covid-19 got into another institution.
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„By now, no one can give even a piece of bread”
For Hungarians living in deep poverty, the world has turned upside down since the coronavirus lockdown. Although poor rural communities have not yet seen a breakout but most jobs are gone and with no savings and barely enough food left, people cannot afford to buy even disinfectants. So far, the government has failed to take action, leaving thousands of starving families without help.
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After 15 years of constant reorganization, Hungarian epidemiology was hit hard by coronavirus
Socialist governments crippled the network of state laboratories, Fidesz cut the epidemiologists’ central institution into pieces before trying to reverse the restructuring. Hungarian epidemiology struggles with the pandemic in a weakened state.
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God sent this investment. Or the Devil
Tricksters from a Kyiv-based call center have defrauded vulnerable people from all around the world, luring them with empty promises of profitable investments. Direkt36 has found several Hungarian victims who talk about the psychology of the online fraud machine and what hurts the most.
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„Sold her home to pay, no money, crying”
More than a thousand victims from over 50 countries of the world, among them dozens of Hungarians, were ripped off by sales managers of a company in Ukraine where the boss is known as the ‘Wolf of Kyiv’. The lucrative business was uncovered by an international investigation in which Direkt36 took part from Hungary.
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Hungarians could live 5 months longer, but government halts program tackling air pollution
Pollution from fine particulate matter is very high in Hungary, among the worst in the EU and the OECD. The government is aware, a solution has been prepared, but the plans were eventually halted.
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He was an interpreter for the Hungarian Prime Minister’s friend. Now he is a major player in state-funded railway projects
Ferenc Sakalj helped the billionaire Lőrinc Mészáros to buy a house on a Croatian island. He soon became a powerful sports manager and a railway company owner.
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The minister had done official business with them, now his wife rents an office from their partner
Cecília Rogán chose to rent an office for her company from a businessman close to two hotel investors. Her husband, the minister used to have good official connections to them.
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I got used to politicians being angry with me. But this was different
Zsuzsanna Wirth tells the inside story of her reporting that infuriated state minister László Tasó.
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Family of influential opposition figure owns luxury yacht in Croatia
Former treasurer of the Hungarian Socialist party has a luxury yacht in Croatia with estimated market value of 260 thousand euros.
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The state minister issued denials and made threats. Then quietly corrected his wealth declarations
Nine more politicians declared previously hidden assets or state subsidies, after Direkt36 exposed mistakes in their wealth declarations. 27 million missing forints got included in the declarations, and several apologies were made.
Continue readingWe looked into politicians’ assets. Police started a harassment investigation
A Direkt36 has revealed how several politicians filed incorrect or incomplete wealth declarations. Minister of state László Tasó was among them. He turned to the police claiming that he and his family were harassed. The police have launched an investigation.
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Opposition politician appears to be almost penniless. But his companies are quite well off
There are serious problems with the current Hungarian wealth declarations system. László Varju’s declarations show almost nothing of his real wealth.
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