The Budapest police have launched an investigation into Dolomit Kft, a company owned by the father of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Law enforcement officials are investigating possible abuse of office and the alleged sale of construction materials at inflated prices.
According to law enforcement officials, the investigation aims to determine whether Dolomit Kft sold stone to V-Híd Zrt at prices that may have exceeded market rates.
The materials were used during the expansion of the M1 highway, the construction of which is financed by public funds.
Back in March, the Hungarian news portal 444.hu reported that stone from György Orbán’s quarries was being delivered by truck for the construction and expansion of the M1 highway.
V-Híd is part of the business group owned by Lorincz Mesaros, one of Hungary’s wealthiest entrepreneurs. The contractor for the project is MKIF Magyar Koncessziós Infrastruktúra Fejlesztő Zrt., which received a state concession to operate the highway.
In June, Ákos Hadházi, a former independent member of the Hungarian National Assembly, stated that he had obtained contracts between Dolomit Kft and V-Híd.
According to him, the documents may indicate that the stone for construction was sold at a price higher than the market rate. Hadhazi claimed that certain materials were sold to Mesaros for twice the price listed in Dolomit Kft’s public price list.
After this information was made public, Miklós Ligeti, legal director of Transparency International Hungary, filed a report with the police.
He noted that without full access to the invoices, it is difficult to definitively determine whether prices were indeed inflated. At the same time, if such a scheme is confirmed, the purchase of construction materials with public funds at prices higher than market rates could have caused financial damage to state property.
The expansion of the M1 highway is being carried out by V-Híd, which is part of Lorinc Mesaros’s group of companies.
At the same time, MKIF receives significant funding from the Hungarian government for road maintenance. This is why the possible overpricing of materials may be of not only commercial but also public interest.
Currently, the Hungarian police are investigating the circumstances of the procurements and any potential harm to the state. The mere fact of an investigation does not imply that violations have been proven or that the company is at fault.
This was reported by Telex, citing information from the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK).
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