No Political Pressure On Government Control Body In Hungary, Its Chief Says
- 2 Jul 2014 9:00 AM
The government control office (KEHI) has not come under any political pressure in connection with its investigation into the use of Norway Grant monies, the body’s head told business daily Világgazdaság. Barna Gaál Szabolcs said in an interview that since the change of government in 2010 it was natural that most of the investigations launched by the office concerned the period of the Fidesz government’s predecessors, and several even dated back to the nineties.
He added that over the past four years the body had not received a single instruction from above as to the contents of the reports.
“It must certainly sound strange from an outsider’s point of view, but the fact that our reports are prepared for the government, are not publicly disclosed and are preparatory to decision making really allows us to work free from any kind of influence, and we write the truth in our reports.”
The E-PM opposition alliance has filed a complaint with the public prosecutor’s investigation’s office over the probe into the use of Norway Grants by civil organisations.
E-PM insists that the NGOs targeted by KEHI were all on a “government blacklist” and the KEHI had no authority to act under Hungarian or international laws.
Several civil groups have complained over KEHI’s request for data and declined to comply with its procedure on the ground that it was illegal for a government body to examine funds received from another country.
Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein decided on May 9 to suspend further disbursement of funds to Hungary.
Source www.hungarymatters.hu
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