Steven N.
Népszava obtained an audio recording which it claims was secretly recorded at a meeting held in a hotel in Budapest at the end of December. Attila Sztojka, Government Commissioner for Roma Relations and head of the Directorate General for Social Opportunities in the Ministry of the Interior (pictured), and members of the National Roma Self-Government (ORÖ) can be heard on the audio.
In the recording, Sztojka can be heard offering contracts to representatives “who are within this group” with the Roma Public Life Academy, in part through his leadership of the Directorate General for Social Opportunities. He added, “I’ll bring you some opportunities, there’s no doubt about that.”
Don’t get me wrong, this is not a purchase, I don’t want to buy anyone.
-said the government commissioner, adding that he would expect certain political and professional results in return for the above. However, he did not elaborate on what he meant by “political results” in this context.
At the end of the discussion, Stojka also mentioned that as a member of the Interior Ministry, he was aware of everone’s secrets.
I know a lot about everybody. I even know who spoke with whom, and in what way.
-Attila Sztojka is alleged to have said on the recording.
Stojka only told the Hungarian daily that he did not know about the audio recording, but that he did not agree to make it and was only willing to answer questions about it in writing. The paper also reached out to János Csóka, the leader of the Lungo Drom caucus, who said that ORÖ representatives met with the government commissioner in the second weekend of December.
Following Népszava’s report yesterday, independent Member of Parliament Ákos Hadházy wrote on Facebook that he would be reporting the government commissioner for suspected abuse of office and extortion. Hadházy added that there was nothing new about any of this.
[HVG]
