One of the winners is a company called Fej\u00e9rv\u00e1ri-h\u00e1z Kft., which is co-owned by former Fidesz MP Ferenc Papcs\u00e1k. Following the 2010 government change he was appointed as government commissioner for accountability, however, he resigned from this position a few months later when he became mayor of a Budapest district. He held the mayoral position for only one term and is currently the chairman of the Hungarian Central Bank’s supervisory board.<\/p>\n
Another future liquidator is Q-Tron Reorganiz\u00e1ci\u00f3s \u00e9s Felsz\u00e1mol\u00f3 Kft. Its co-owner is former interior state secretary L\u00e1szl\u00f3 Tasn\u00e1di, who resigned in 2016 after criticism of his past connection to state security services and role in the period before the regime change, but is still considered a confidant of interior minister S\u00e1ndor Pint\u00e9r. After his resignation he became the CEO of Pint\u00e9r’s former security company, Civil Biztons\u00e1gi Szolg\u00e1lat Zrt.<\/p>\n
Some of the winners are connected to L\u0151rinc M\u00e9sz\u00e1ros, the childhood friend of PM Viktor Orb\u00e1n and one of Hungary\u2019s richest businessmen. For instance, Prima Liquidator Kft. is co-owned by Mikl\u00f3s G\u00e1l, who holds key positions in several of his companies. He is the former CEO of Opus Global, the flagship company of M\u00e9sz\u00e1ros, and is still the co-owner of TV2, a government-friendly and one of the biggest commercial TV channels in the country. Responding to Direkt36’s questions, Prima Liquidator Kft. stated that its owners have experience in liquidations.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/direkt36.exot.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/05\/Meszaros-Lorinc-foto.jpeg\")
People linked to the business empire of L\u0151rinc M\u00e9sz\u00e1ros, PM Orb\u00e1n’s childhood friend, are also among the winners. Photo: Tam\u00e1s Botos\/444.hu<\/p><\/div>\n
Another winning company, Cs\u0151dtan\u00e1csad\u00f3 Menedzser Kft. belongs to the same business interest groups. One of the company owners is Szilvia Nagy, who together with the above mentioned Mikl\u00f3s G\u00e1l and others co-owns TV2.<\/p>\n
BVL Kft. is also among the winners. This is a company co-owned by Lajos Ern\u0151 Varga, who is the majority owner of the security company Valton-Sec, which has won several government procurements. Varga co-owns Valton with Istv\u00e1n Bessenyei, whose wife has a joint business with PM Orban\u2019s cabinet chief Antal Rog\u00e1n’s ex-wife.<\/p>\n
Profinit\u00f3 Felsz\u00e1mol\u00f3 Kft. is co-owned by Tibor Gy\u00f6rgy, who runs a law firm with government links. The name of the law firm is SBGK and one of its senior members is a current Fidesz MP Istv\u00e1n Bajkai, a founding Fidesz member with close ties to the family of PM Orb\u00e1n – he represented several family members in various media issues.<\/p>\n
These are just a few examples of the newly selected companies’ government ties. Examining the list of the winning companies, Direkt36 has found that nearly half of the 54 companies are, in some form, close to the government. These relationships are in many cases indirect, meaning the owners of the winning firms are linked to government actors through other firms and individuals.<\/p>\n
Interviews conducted by a former minister<\/strong><\/h2>\nThe government’s call for application was published at the end of April last year, with a deadline to apply until July. The process was managed by a five-member evaluation committee. Its members were delegated by justice minister Judit Varga, interior minister S\u00e1ndor Pint\u00e9r, finance minister Mih\u00e1ly Varga, minister without portfolio in charge of national assets Andrea Mager, and the National Office for the Judiciary. The information provided by the government does not reveal the identity of the committee members.<\/p>\n
The scoring system, on the other hand, was public. Out of 150 points, 20 accounted for \u201cform and content\u201d, among others it was an advantage if the company that applied has been operating for at least three years. The business plan weighted 90 points. Besides the business plan, it was also assessed whether the property used by the applicant is suitable for liquidation work, and the user-friendliness and accuracy of the company\u2019s current or future website were also evaluated. Additional 40 points could be earned with the personal presentation.<\/p>\n
According to an expert who has been working as a liquidator for more than twenty years, the assessment of the latter two categories was quite subjective. The liquidator, who asked not to be named, explained that his company scored very well in the \u201cform and content\u201d part, but received far fewer points for the business plan, so in the end he was not selected as a winner.<\/p>\n
According to the liquidator, the personal presentations were evaluated by former minister of national development Mikl\u00f3s Seszt\u00e1k and an assistant. The interview took place in the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as the office of Seszt\u00e1k \u2013 who currently works as a government commissioner \u2013 is located there. Seszt\u00e1k already played a key role in the 2014 tender, which also ended with the success of several people linked to the government. In 2014, the evaluation committee was led by Seszt\u00e1k.<\/p>\n
![\"Forr\u00e1s:](\"http:\/\/direkt36.exot.hu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Sesztak-ke\u0301p_direkt36.jpg\")
Former minister Mikl\u00f3s Seszt\u00e1k interviewed one of the applicants. Photo: MTI<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the winners of the current tender \u2013 Fibona Kft., owned by R\u00e1tky \u00e9s T\u00e1rsa Law Firm \u2013 is linked to Seszt\u00e1k. The law firm has previously received several orders from the Ministry of National Development headed by Seszt\u00e1k. The close relationship between the minister and the law firm has widely been reported. It was revealed by G7.hu, for example, that Seszt\u00e1k’s daughter did an internship at this office and later worked there as an articled clerk.<\/p>\n
Why is it worth it?<\/strong><\/h2>\nIt is worth entering the liquidator market because four percent of the assets sold during the liquidation are earned by the liquidators as payment. This is a good business especially when companies with significant assets are being liquidated. In addition, various assets of the company can often be purchased at a much lower price.<\/p>\n
The liquidators expect more work in the near future due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. \u201cEspecially after the expiration of the bank credit moratorium, a wave of liquidation could start,\u201d one liquidator said, who thinks that many companies will be unable to repay their debts.<\/p>\n
Once a company gets liquidated, the company to be entrusted with the liquidation will be chosen by a lot from the pool of companies that were the winners of the current tender. The court that orders the liquidation uses a software overseen by the government for the selection process.<\/p>\n
Former minister Mikl\u00f3s Seszt\u00e1k interviewed one of the applicants. Photo: MTI<\/p><\/div>\n
One of the winners of the current tender \u2013 Fibona Kft., owned by R\u00e1tky \u00e9s T\u00e1rsa Law Firm \u2013 is linked to Seszt\u00e1k. The law firm has previously received several orders from the Ministry of National Development headed by Seszt\u00e1k. The close relationship between the minister and the law firm has widely been reported. It was revealed by G7.hu, for example, that Seszt\u00e1k’s daughter did an internship at this office and later worked there as an articled clerk.<\/p>\n