An internal conflict erupted in Hungary’s government as the Budapest Student City project, designed for low-income Hungarian university students, was scrapped in favor of a Chinese private university for wealthy foreigners. Direkt36 also acquired Fudan Hungary University’s financial projections.
Continue readingTo please China, Orbán’s government shifted plans to favor Fudan’s campus over Student City
Inside the secrets of the Orbán family’s businesses
Viktor Orbán claims that he does not have any savings, but his family members have earned millions of euros in recent years, partly from public money from the Hungarian state and the European Union. We explain how we investigated the businesses of Orbán’s family in an animated video.
Continue reading
Orbán’s son-in-law and his associates among beneficiaries of favorable state COVID-loans
The loan for small- and medium-sized companies was announced by governor of Hungary’s Central Bank György Matolcsy at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Only a few received loans as high as István Tiborcz and two of his associates.
Continue reading
Huge Chinese loan to cover the construction of Fudan University in Budapest
Chinese workers will construct Fudan’s Budapest campus using Chinese building materials, all covered by a Chinese loan, but the Hungarian state is the one paying the huge bill. Fudan University has already picked a contractor: state-owned China State Construction Engineering Corporation, a company embroiled in suspicions of corruption and espionage in several countries around the world.
Continue reading
The mine of the Orbán family pays the highest dividend among its competitors
According to the latest data available, Dolomit Kft. paid 1,8 billion forints (4,98 million euros) as dividends in 2019, which is more than the thirteen times more than the sectorial average.
Continue reading
Until now, Orbán’s family has stayed away from public procurements. Now the company of his brother won a lucrative one
Gamma Analcont, a company minority owned by one of Viktor Orban’s younger brothers, won a high-value public procurement for the remote monitoring of gas-networks of E.ON.
Continue reading
How Russians got a second chance at lucrative rail deal from Hungary
A Russian company lobbied heavily against the €550m procurement of rail cars as they were unable to enter the competition. Then Hungary’s government suddenly canceled and restarted the bidding process.
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
Chinese spy games in Orbán’s Hungary
The policy of ’Eastern Opening’ set out by Viktor Orbán in hope of tons of Chinese money never actually resulted in momentous Chinese investments. The China-friendly environment in Hungary, on the other hand, came in handy for Chinese intelligence. Direkt36 presents the hidden history of Hungarian-Chinese relations.
Continue reading
Government’s friends get a chance to profit from the economic downturn
Several government-close people, including a Fidesz politician, entered the liquidation market, which will likely become a profitable business following the economic impact of COVID-19, Direkt36 reports.
Continue reading
A fugitive wanted for murder became a businessman in Budapest under false identity
Haris Ahmed has escaped from Bangladesh, where his brother currently serves as Army Chief. The man had been on the Interpol’s Red Notice list for years, now he is using his connections at home to enrich himself in Europe.
Continue reading
Inside Viktor Orbán’s slow response to the second wave of COVID19
Fidesz politicians believed in the forecast of Central Bank president György Matolcsy that the pandemic would only have a mild impact on the Hungarian economy, but GDP data showed a different reality.
Continue reading
Orbán’s father offers building materials for a much higher price than the competition
Dolomit Kft. participates in state projects despite selling some of its products 60-70 percent more expensive than its main competitors.
Continue reading
„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.
Continue reading
“Don’t even try, sweetie, because I’m running out of patience” – We asked Viktor Orbán’s father about his involvement in state projects
The mining company of Hungarian PM’s father, Győző Orbán delivered building materials for major railway and road constructions, but he only wanted to talk about the beautiful autumn weather.
Continue reading
Opposition politician profited from business deals with the Hungarian government’s inner circles. Now, the EU has identified irregularities in several of their deals
Direkt36 reported that Gergő Czeglédy, a well-connected politician from the Hungarian Socialist Party, won lucrative state contracts jointly with government-close businessmen. Now OLAF, the EU’s anti-fraud agency found irregularities in some of their deals.
Continue reading
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.
Continue reading
Secret battles of Orban’s rival – Budapest’s first year under opposition rule
What conflicts emerged between Gergely Karácsony and Ferenc Gyurcsány? What did Antal Rogán tell the mayor? Who are the most influential people at Budapest’s city hall? Direkt36 presents the behind-the-scenes story of the capital’s opposition leadership.
Continue reading
Orban’s father was involved in controversial road construction
Not only the European Union, but also the Hungarian government criticized the project for being too expensive. This did not stop the mining company of the PM’s father to benefit from it.
Continue reading
Offshore company involved in suspicious transactions was protected by Hungarian bank, leaked secret files show
Suspicious transactions have been routinely moved through the Hungarian banking system, Direkt36 has revealed as part of the the global FinCENFiles investigation.
Continue reading