In the footage, the mayor of Ózd, delegated by the radical nationalist Jobbik party, and two other officials talked about plans to award a 400 million forint (EUR 1.3m) contract to a certain company, which, out of the two bidders, had offered a 10% higher price, Németh told a press conference.

Later on, the company was granted the contract, he added. “It is high time to get things straight,” he said, adding that Mayor Dávid Janiczak, “the right hand of Jobbik leader Gábor Vona”, had been putting off the answer to his questions.

Ádám Mirkóczki, Jobbik’s spokesman, told a news conference that the authorities had conducted several investigations but had not uncovered evidence of illegal activity, “and this, I believe, will continue to be the case”.

He said that Jobbik’s deputy leader was ready to answer questions, adding that it is clear from the whole recording that “it has nothing to do with corruption”.

Janiczak later told a press conference that he would release all voice recordings he can be heard on. He said he had already released the recording in question on May 9 and that it proved that municipal leaders of Ózd had merely been conducting a risk analysis in connection with the project.

Janiczak said the project in question was being strictly monitored by state authorities. The mayor invited Németh to visit Ózd to personally view the documents concerning the project and to listen to the whole recording.

Asked why the bidder that had offered a higher price had won the contract, Janiczak said there had been more criteria besides just the price that municipal leaders took into consideration.

One such criterion was that the project had to be completed within a tight deadline, he said.

Asked whether he had received money from the bidder that was awarded the contract, he replied: “How could I have received any [money]?”

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.