Motion for revision no. JOG/41/2024

The investigating authority dismissed the complaint filed for misappropriation of funds and the suspicion of active corruption. The Authority submitted a motion for revision in order to launch an investigation.

(publication date: 8 May 2024)

In its decision no. 29022/89-14/2024.bü., the Major Crimes Department of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division at the National Bureau of Investigation, part of the Rapid Response and Special Police Service dismissed the complaint filed for misappropriation of funds and the suspicion of active corruption due to the lack of suspicion of a criminal offence.

The Integrity Authority filed a motion for revision against the investigating authority’s decision dismissing the complaint and proposed that the investigating authority’s decision be abrogated and an investigation be ordered.

Forming the basis for the complaint in the case, an article published on an online portal reports that, according to a voice recording, the reason why the renovation of a bridge in Budapest turned out to be significantly more expensive than originally projected is because this is what provided the funds for part of the increased amount paid to the contractor to eventually end up, through several financial transactions, in the possession of an unauthorised company and private individual.  

According to the Authority’s motion for revision submitted on 7 May 2024, the decision dismissing the complaint and the published anonymised file register show that the investigating authority contacted only the National Tax and Customs Administration and the Hungarian Competition Authority for information on the case; then, since these authorities could not provide significant information, the investigating authority dismissed the complaint without taking any further substantial action, leaving many circumstances that the Authority deemed suspicious uninvestigated.

The Authority finds it necessary to launch an investigation, considering the sizeable amount of public funds involved in a case that has already garnered significant public attention, and that the article mentions concrete economic operators, public procurement procedures, contractual terms that have undergone substantial modifications, and significant cash flows, along with large-scale renovation works concerning the bridge in question.

The public prosecutor’s office has admitted the motion for revision and has abrogated the investigating authority’s decision terminating the proceedings.