Sándor Rónai said Cytrox produces Predator, software “in the focus of several European wire-tapping scandals in recent years”, through which the personal data of tens of thousands of people could be accessed.

Rónai, who is also vice chair of parliament’s Pegasus committee, asked if the government was aware “what the company in fact produces”.

He also asked why the company had selected Hungary for its activities and if the government had signed a deal with them, or was planning to place a spyware order in future.