Businessman claims politician received millions in exchange for influence but delivered nothing
A park maintenance company owner alleges in his statement that he paid a public figure for years, who promised government contracts by citing close ties to Budapest's leadership, but despite the money, his company never received any contracts from the capital.
Businessman claims politician received millions in exchange for influence but delivered nothing
According to a Budapest park maintenance entrepreneur, he transferred several hundred million forints to a public figure who promised public procurement contracts by citing his close relationship with Budapest's leadership, reports Telex. Despite transferring the money, the entrepreneur's company never received any contracts from the capital.
Z. Zsolt, known in political circles as an "invisible man", is the owner of Pannon Park Forest Kft. According to his statement, he maintained contact with the politician known by the nickname "Pék" since the end of 2015, whom he had known since his university years. According to the man's account, the politician made him an offer for the first time in December 2015 at his home in Rózsadomb: using his influence, he would ensure that the company continued to receive district maintenance tasks and that the performance of these tasks would not be challenged.
Based on the entrepreneur's account, he started with annual payments of 40 million forints, which he later increased. He transferred the amounts in cash, in multiple instalments at the politician's flat, typically in early December. However, over time, the man realised that the promises were not coming true – according to his account, the politician repeatedly just delayed matters and never took any concrete steps. On one occasion, he told him: he could throw the money into the Danube.
Budapest's Mayor Gergely Karácsony responded to the matter on social media. According to him, if someone really did accept money for Budapest's park maintenance contracts, then they defrauded the entrepreneur, because the capital switched precisely from using external companies to taking on the tasks internally between 2022 and 2024.
Z. Zsolt was arrested last year in connection with a Kecskemét fake invoicing case. Investigators found one million euros in the car boot. After his detention, the man concluded a cooperation agreement with the prosecutor's office and began talking about a bribery network involving several local councils, in which both left- and right-wing politicians are involved.
The suspects deny the allegations.
Source: Telex