Jobbik urges probe into Fidesz’s 2010 campaign spending

The opposition Jobbik party has suggested that a parliamentary committee should be set up to look into the ruling Fidesz party’s spending during the campaign ahead of the 2010 election.

Jobbik’s group leader János Volner told a press conference on Wednesday that commercial broadcaster Hir TV had not invoiced Fidesz for any of its advertisements in the campaign, which “raises suspicion of illegal party financing and tax fraud”.

Volner insisted that the committee should reveal “how much (financial) support Fidesz had received”, from what sources, and if the alleged financing had an influence on the outcome of the election.

Fidesz said in reaction that Jobbik had become a “puppet in the hands of billionaire Lajos Simicska”, who has “purchased the party and provides covert financing”. In a statement the ruling party insisted that Simicska had provided Jobbik with “unrealistically cheap” advertising and his companies “publish Jobbik’s messages without the logo of the party”.

Fidesz also insisted that it had observed the law in all its election campaigns, adding that the State Audit Office has cleared all their accounts.

Source: MTI