Vidar Helgesen, Norway’s EU affairs minister, told a press conference in Oslo that the country would continue supporting civil organisations as long as possible, but expressed criticism over “authoritarian, deeply concerning tendencies” in Hungary.

The minister said that Norway gave little credit to the Kehi report. He said that Norway made it clear that it is the donor side’s duty to monitor the use of funds, adding that such a procedure was currently under way, AFP news agency reported.

Kehi said earlier this month that it had completed an investigation and revealed irregularities in 61 of 63 projects that had received funding from the Norway Grants. It said that it would submit a criminal report against Ökotárs, an NGO in charge of distribution of Norway Grants funding, on suspicion of mismanagement, budget fraud, forgery of private documents and unauthorised financial activity.

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein decided on May 9 to suspend further disbursement of funds to Hungary over concerns about the Hungarian government’s introducing changes to the distribution of grants through civil organisations.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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