Budapest Prosecutor Presses Charges In Connection With US Entry Ban
- 21 Dec 2015 8:00 AM
Budapest’s chief prosecutor has raised charges against a suspect believed to have solicited a bribe from US cooking oil producer Bunge in return for influencing Hungarian VAT legislation. Tibor Ibolya said that the suspect known as V.T. had claimed to know Peter Heim, head of Századvég, a think-tank close to the government.
He asked for 2 billion forints (EUR 6.4m) in return for using his connections to lobby for a reduction of VAT on cooking oil from 27% to 5%.
Bunge immediately broke off ties with the suspect who was then banned from entering the US. He added that no connection had been established between the suspect and the Századvég chief.
Századvég said in a statement that the municipal prosecutor had cleared the think-tank of any involvement in the case.
Marketing and communications director Péter Keresztesi said “it has been proven” that the suspect illegitimately referred to Századvég. Keresztesi added that Századvég would sue any media suggesting the group’s involvement in the case.
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