Leaked emails have placed the deputy leader of Hungary\u2019s ruling Tisza party in contact with the company that won the contract for the August 20 state celebrations, weeks before the tender opened. \u00c1kos Hadh\u00e1zy, a former independent MP and anti-corruption campaigner, published the correspondence on August 26.<\/p>\n
The messages concern the HUF 3.91 billion (\u20ac10.7 million) gross contract awarded to the events firm Hardrock. The National Event Organising Agency (NR\u00dc) had terminated its agreements with Lounge Event, part of a group linked to the Fidesz-era communications businessman Gyula Bal\u00e1sy.<\/p>\n
A former Tisza events director wrote to Lounge on June 16 requesting information about this year\u2019s programme at the request of government commissioner M\u00e1rk Radnai, who was copied in. By June 21 Hardrock\u2019s managing director, D\u00e1niel Besny\u0151, had joined the exchanges and was asking for budget, supplier and technical details.<\/p>\n
NR\u00dc cancelled the Lounge contracts on June 23. Its own chronology dates the start of work on the replacement requirement to June 24.<\/p>\n
The agency opened an emergency negotiated procedure on July 7 and invited three companies. The two unsuccessful invitees told the business news site G7<\/a>, which first reported the case on August 20, that they learned of the tender that day and declined because the deadline was too short.<\/p>\n Hardrock submitted the only bid. The tender closed on July 14 and the contract was signed the following day.<\/p>\n Radnai said he had played \u201cno part whatsoever\u201d in the procurement or the organisation of the event. He said his address appeared in copy on some messages but that he had neither read nor answered them.<\/p>\n Besny\u0151 denied acting improperly, though he acknowledged approaching Lounge for information before the tender was announced. He said it had become widely known in the events industry that Lounge would not deliver the state celebration.<\/p>\n Fidesz filed a public interest notification with the Public Procurement Authority on August 24. Mi Haz\u00e1nk leader L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Toroczkai lodged a criminal complaint over suspected restriction of competition in a procurement procedure.<\/p>\n Hadh\u00e1zy said the reduced cost of this year\u2019s programme did not settle the question. \u201cJust because they steal less, it is still theft,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n