Election campaign reload – The investigations in the „Nokia box case” has been relaunched

In their submission full of formal errors Appellate Chief Prosecution Office in Szeged requested the initiation of the full reinvestigation of the story of Nokia-box at the regional court. If accepted this would be the third time that the case was put under investigation although the defendants have been acquitted by two times.

In case reinvestigation is approved by the Szeged Regional Court of Appeal in the proceedings beginning in September, it would be the third time that Fidesz would get the opportunity to influence the parliamentary elections with the same story. It should not be at the suprise of the ones following the case that along with the submission a prize from Péter Polt has also been accepted by the Prosecutor of Szeged competent in the case.

In September Tünde Handó, at long last, might be home and dry with one of her first decisons made right after she took office in January, 2012. The „Hagyó-case” did land in Szeged as it had been planned by Handó from the very beginning. Despite the decision made by the Constitutional Courd and their clear opposition, in the proceedings started the second time the only destination of the case could be Szeged. Perhaps, at the attempt to understand the ’why’ it could be useful to know that Attila Harangozó – the only candidate for the position of President of Szeged Regional Court of Appeal and then appointed by Handó – at a press conference referred to the President of OBH as his employer and he described the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg as gentlamen’s club. After all, it should not be at our suprise that Péter Polt’s prosecutors in Szeged are eager to carry out their duties accordingly. And what are these duties exactly?

Hagyó finally does not need to go to prison – here is the court decision - nepszava.hu

Hagyó, ex socialist Deputy Lord Mayor, was sentenced to tow-year imprisonment suspended for four years for abuse of authority and breach of fiduciary duty as inciter by the Court of Kecskemét at first instance on Tuesday. The charge of bribery, however, was dropped.

The charge against Ernő Mesterházy (ex political chief advisor of the Lord Mayor), second accused, was dropped by the judicature presiding by Ibolya Hadnagy. According to the explanation of their decision in his case only one act of incitement without result could be established.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 18.

Is the public media biased towards the BKV-case?

The government of Fidesz passed the new press and media act. In the Media Council established under the new act there is no a single member who could be supposed to be in favour of the independent press. Although, it is the main responsibility of the MTI to provide the press with the latest and objective news, in the communication having been provided by them in relation to the BKV-case important bits of information have been lost. In most of their reports the focus is more on the details of the older testimonies which have already been unsaid in most of the cases. At many points they have penned briefly and ambiguously, furthermore their titles have not reflected accurately the events took place during the trials.

Has the public media given up being independent?

The new press and media act issued by the government of Fidesz and the omnipotent Media Council elected for 9 years provide this impression. Since its being passed the act has been heavily and justifiably criticised both at a nationwide and an international level. Negative opinions have been expressed worldwide on the current status of the Hungarian democracy and “freedom” of the Hungarian media by the leading newspapers, diplomats and political organizations.

If it is up to the prosecutor, Hagyó will be never released

According to the prosecution authority in case of eight accused the charge of continuous breach of fiduciary duty through organized crime is factual therefore the prosecutor requested for their heavy prison sentence and the exclusion of their release on parole in his prosecutor speech.

In case of Miklós Hagyó, Attila Antal, Zsolt Balogh and Miklós Regőczi the fact that the sentence for engagement in organized crime was raised from 20 to 25 years has not only theoretical significance – said Prosecutor János Homonnai representing the Prosecution - when at the end of his prosecutor speech he itemized the charges against each accused and the sentences he is requesting for them after closing the prosecution’s case-in-chief at first instance. According to his opinion in case of Miklós Hagyó, Ernő Mesterházy, Attila Antal, Zsolt Balogh, Miklós R., Ottó L., Éva M.-H. and Miklós H dr. the charge of engagement in organized crime – threatening the accused with double sentence – and the act of causing continuous and extraordinary material loss are well-based.

Most of the accused are charged with aggravated breach of fiduciary duty – some of them are charged as offenders, some of them are charged as instigators and others as abettors. Besides, Miklós Hagyó is charged with two counts of abuse of authority and two counts of bribery committed as an executive official. Besides breach of fiduciary duty, Attila Antal, Zsolt Balogh and Miklós R. are charged with more counts of falsification of private documents, as well. The rest of the accused are also charged with breach of fiduciary duty and falsification of private documents without the fact of engagement in organized crime.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 16

When did it turn out that the story of the Nokia-boxes is not more than a legend?

On October 9, 2012 the story took an unexpected turn: during his court hearing Zsolt Balogh unsaid his statements on the Nokia-boxes. He was called by Judge Ibolya Hadnagy to declare if he keeps his investigatory testimony. Balogh said that he keeps the one given before the court. About his significantly different investigatory testimony read out by the judge he said he had stated incriminatory things in it in order to meet the needs expressed by the prosecution and avoid prison: “I am not a hero. I did not want anything else just to go home.” Later, in March 2015 he completely withdrew the story of the Nokia-box and he apologized to Hagyó spending nine months in custody for his earlier false statements on him. Finally, the prosecution did drop the related investigation, admitting that the statements on the Nokia-box cannot be supported with evidence.

Why is it particularly significant that Balogh unsaid his testimony?

Because the whole Nokia-box scandal developed from his statements. Among others, this is how the story about the bribes delivered to Miklós Hagyó, former Deputy Lord Mayor, on several occasions by Balogh got around. The indictment of the BKV-case also based on these statements just like the two counts against Hagyó.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 15

Did Miklós Hagyó admit the charges against him?

The moment when Miklós Hagyó gave his testimony before the Court of Kecskemét was waited for impatiently by the media and the public as well. In his testimony Hagyó rejected the charges brought against him including the Nokia-box related statements. Moreover he drew the attention of the court to more inaccuracies in the indictment. In the indictment more dates are inexact and it was compiled without questioning him or other executives involved in the case about the Nokia-boxes during their pre-trial detentions.

Why did not the indictment fulfil the formal requirements?

The crime of bribery and blackmail described in Count II of the indictment is too general; also it fails to refer to the exact location and time of the delivery, in other word the situational elements necessary for the concretization are missing from the document. Therefore the charges against Miklós Hagyó which are related to the Nokia-box do not fulfil completely the requirements of the legal criminal procedure, which would ensure that the prosecution be brought only based on proven and concrete facts of the case filed accordingly in the Indictment. However, there are issues concerning the provability of the indictment, as the interrogatees reported the influence of the investigatory statements.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 13

Did also the indictment contain the Nokia-boxes?

At the beginning of 2012 the prosecution was brought. The Nokia-box count was based on exclusively and solely Zsolt Balogh’s contradictory statements. The indictment of course contains the case of the Nokia-boxes, however interestingly the Nokia-boxes themselves are not mentioned. In the indictment issued carelessly and inaccurately has a reference only to the 15-15 million forints which was delivered to Hagyó on a yearly basis. Any other details on the location, the time or other circumstances are not mentioned in it. The term „Nokia-box” does not occur in the text at all.

What does the indictment exactly say about the Nokia-box?

Literally the following:

Miklós Hagyó, first accused, as the Deputy Lord Mayor of Urban Management and Asset Management of the Budapest Municipality, abusing his official position in March 2008 instructed Zsolt József Balogh, fourth accused, as the Chief Executive Officer of the BKV to deliver 15 million forints to him on a yearly basis.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 12

Did the Nokia-box case influence the municipality elections?

Of course, it did – Hagyó was suspected of the Nokia-boxes five week before the municipality elections. This was also the time when the records on the confrontation leaked out, which brought back the same public mood as before parliamentary elections. In fall – just like previously in spring before the parliamentary elections - the Nokia-box became a campaign topic again. Beginning a new wave of their attacks they used the BKV-severance pays as weapons. Later more socialist politicians were charged. The then mainly liberal and socialist Budapest failed. Although it has been revealed that the Nokia-box charges are false, the truth cannot change the results of the elections.

When and how did the record on Balogh and Hagyó’s confrontation leak out?

Again the timing of the right wing was careful and precise. The record on the police confrontation came to light during the campaign period of the elections. And although it is obvious it should be pointed out that the Magyar Nemzet did publish it under the following title “I live in fear of death by you, Miklós!”. Of course, the fact that the BKV-case was picked up again might have influenced the municipality elections as it might have done the parliamentary elections.

The Prosecutor’s Office also has disbelief in the story of the Nokia-box.

At the trial of the BKV-case on Tuesday, the prosecution also arrived at the conclusion that the main count against Miklós Hagyó – the receipt of the bribes hidden in the Nokia-box - could not be substantiated any more after the only incriminatory testimony had been unsaid before the court. Interestingly, the prosecution initiated the related investigation only after bringing charges against the former Deputy Lord Mayor of MSZP.

The most serious count of the indictment against Miklós Hagyó, former Deputy Lord Mayor of MSZP, seems to be refuted in the lawsuit heard at the Court of Kecskemét.

The count against Hagyó was based on Zsolt Balogh’s, former Chief Executive Officer of the BKV’s, contradictory statements made earlier during the investigatory phase. 

The statements made on the bribes delivered in the Nokia-box and becoming well-known in 2010 were unsaid by Balogh during an earlier phase of the lawsuit in 2012. This year he asked Hagyó for his apologize at the trial, furthermore he claimed: he had never delivered money to Hagyó, either in a Nokia-box or any other way. On Tuesday at the trial the prosecution admitted that the statements on the Nokia-box could not be proved.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 11

Was Hagyó accused of the nokia-boxes as well?

Yes, he was, but the accusation was unfounded and made long after Balogh’s testimony and Hagyó’s arrest. During his custody, he was not inquired about the nokia-boxes at all. Hagyó and Balogh were confronted on September 14, 2015. Hagyó stated that he has never received money from Balogh, however Balogh kept to his story and refused to answer to any questions. At that time, Balogh was already defended by István Szabó Dr., who was referred to as “the lawyer of the Fidesz” in the media.

When was Hagyó accused of the nokia-box?

He was accused of the box only on August 30, 2010 although Balogh made his first statement about the boxes in March. A whole season passed. Moreover, Hagyó was not inquired in relation with the boxes during his custody.

The Magical Nokia-box - part 8

How did the press pick up the story of the „Nokia-box”?

One month before the parliamentary elections Zsolt Balogh begun to give interviews about the Noki-box, but only to the right –party related media. First, in the Magyar Nemzet, later on the Hír-TV the smear campaign continued. The Nokia-box, however, became more and more magic, since the former Chief Executive Officer’s statements on the exact source of the money and the circumstances of the delivery itself were changing day by day. These contradictions were never spotted by the investigators, although they were the only one aware of all the versions of the same story. For the audience only the official statements were available. By this time Balogh’s incriminatory statements were considered to be facts.

When was the first time when Zsolt Balogh talked about the Nokia-box?

The first “out-coming” took place one month before the parliamentary elections. 6 March 2010 the full interview done by the righ-party media appeared in the Magyar Nemzet with the title “I handed over the money to Hagyó in a Nokia-box…”

The Magical Nokia-box - part 2

How did the money jump into the Magic box?

Nokia box is magical because every time the money jumped into it in different ways. Firstly Balogh accused Synergon that the company paid royalty to Hagyó and he gave over the half of the 30 Million HUF bribe – of course in a Nokia box. However he stated to the press that the money was put together by managers of different companies which were close to BKV. It was not just the source of the money but the circumstances were also magically different. He took over once in a garage, in a car in another time and once he saw the content of the Box or who knows.

Then from where did the money come due to Balogh? 

One of the most magical characters of the Nokia box is that the money jumped into it every time in different ways. In his first interview to Magyar Nemzet daily on March 6, 2010 he said that BKV managers put together the money when they knew the time when Balogh delivers. This contradicts to his first testimony on February 24, 2010 when he confessed that the 2*15 Million HUF came from Synergon since the company allegedly paid royalty to Hagyó in order to win the software license tender.

The nokia box story is over

The BKV case continued in Kecskemét with the screening of the confrontation between Miklós Hagyó and Zsolt Balogh on September 14, 2010. Zsolt Balogh after the hearing said: he felt that he could only stay released if he says incriminatory about Miklós Hagyó. Hagyó never ordered him into any outlawry; respectively he never gave him any money.

Before the court viewed the record in closed circle, András Kádár, the lawyer of the former deputy lord mayor asked the resume of the verdict from the European Court of Human Rights from Strasbourg in the case between Hagyó and Hungary. 

The Magical Nokia-box - part 1.

Origins of the Magic box

The Magic box opened like Pandora’s Box: Zsolt Balogh former general manager of BKV started to talk about Nokia boxes filled with 15 Million HUF in February, 2010, which he had to give over Miklós Hagyó Deputy Mayor. He had repeated this story during the investigative phase of the BKV-case but later he withdrew it in the judicial phase. 168 Óra weekly indicated Balogh with “Nokia man” attributive in September, 2009 with which it predicted the script of the BKV-case.

Miklós Hagyó

How many Nokia boxes existed according to Balogh?

Due to Balogh’s allegation he had to give over 15 Million HUF to Hagyó twice a year. For the first time the one who allegedly possessed the money sent the general manager directly to Hagyó. The handover process was justified by Hagyó in the middle of the Hévíz-lake. Then Balogh gave over the other 15 Million personally to Hagyó in a Nokia box – allegedly.

The legend of the nokia-box and the pure truth - part 6

A news came to light in the Hungarian media in March 2010 which shocked the whole country. This served the proof to the ones who criticize the Gyurcsány-government that the socialist-liberal administration is rotten to the core. This prejudice has been created successfully by the right-wing media.

Summarizing my standpoint regarding the confessions of the accused of IV order it can be stated that the prosecutor raised accusation against Hagyó only upon the statement of Balogh which is full with contradictions and discrepancies. The prosecutor found the above statements profound despite of the fact that the contradictions between the confessions have to be clarified due to the relevant regulation and stipulation of the criminal procedure act. It is, as shown above, is still missing for some reason.
We cannot talk about evidences which would serve the basis of the prosecution. According to the rules of criminal procedure the fact which is not proven shall not be considered against the accused.


The failed recognition of the alleged eyewitness 

Zsolt Balogh testified on 23rd August 2010 that Hagyó sent him to Gödöllő to his girlfriend, Krisztina T. where he instructed Balogh to give him 15 Million per year. Due to the confession of the accused of IV order that Hagyó told him that there are two reasons: the first on is that he works with a bunch of fellows who are not registered employees but they have to be financed and the other reason was that there is a nursing home at Csepel and he collected the money to support it". Here, again he accuses Hagyó that he threatened him with the disclosure of the improper CC Soft statement on completion.

Krisztina T.  stayed in the second room when Balogh and Hagyó met so she could detect only the tone of the conversation tone detected, she did not hear what was said. That is the reason why she said that the conversation took place in a calm, polite manner and it did not seem to be such a violent persuasion or coercion.

Miklós Hagyó’s girlfriend, Krisztina T.’s photo was shown to Zsolt Balogh during the investigation. It is strange that the accused of IV order did not recognize Krisztina T. however he stated that they met during the meeting in Gödöllő. It is difficult to understand that someone with strong emotions in connection with a memory can provide a detailed report but continuously failed to recognize a person taking part in that event.

On this basis, it is concluded that Zsolt Balogh’s statement is improper to confirm the II point of the indictment and no additional evidences arisen. In the light of this it is incomprehensible that how the prosecutor raised claim. Why a person was held in pre-trial detention, exposed to severe testing whose guilt is not supported by anything?

The legend of the nokia-box and the pure truth - part 5

A news came to light in the Hungarian media in March 2010 which shocked the whole country. This served the proof to the ones who criticize the Gyurcsány-government that the socialist-liberal administration is rotten to the core. This prejudice has been created successfully by the right-wing media.

Contradictions in the confessions of the accused of IV order

Before proceeding to the contradictions among the confessions of Zsolt Balogh I would like to draw the reader’s attention to an interesting event of the investigation. Before the arrest of Miklós Hagyó he indicated to the investigating authority on 11th May 2010 that he shall be at their disposal, he lives in his residency and gave all of his availabilities. In spite of this the police failed to interrogate Hagyó before his arrest of 14th May 2010.

Zsolt Balogh also offered his testimony to the investigating authority in the first half of October 2009 howver he was interrogation only in February 2010 firstly as witness and then as a suspect as stated in the letter dated on 8th April 2011 and addressed to the K.D. Marshall.

The legend of the Nokia-box and the pure truth - part 4

A news came to light in the Hungarian media in March 2010 which shocked the whole country. This served the proof to the ones who criticize the Gyurcsány-government that the socialist-liberal administration is rotten to the core. This prejudice has been created successfully by the right-wing media.

Zsolt Balogh

An internal investigation at the BKV- An unused documentary evidence

Zsolt Balogh made his statement on 24th February 2010 at a police station in connection with the II point of the indictment as follows: BKV concluded an agreement in the summer or spring of 2008 with Synergon Nyrt. being the winner in the central procurement in order to supply Microsoft software.

The legend of the Nokia-box and the pure truth - part 3

A news came to light in the Hungarian media in March 2010 which shocked the whole country. This served the proof to the ones who criticize the Gyurcsány-government that the socialist-liberal administration is rotten to the core. This prejudice has been created successfully by the right-wing media.

The indictment was characterized in the article of HVG journal as “carelessly supported political pamphlet” since you cannot find a single document from the tens of thousands of pages which could support the accusation of crimes committed in criminal organization. There is not a slightest evidence or circumstance beside the preamble of the indictment that would lead to the allegation of some Mob-crime. the journalist writes an example that due to the standpoint of the indictment “Ernő Mesterházy mediates  the interests of the companies connected to the Lord Mayor toward BKV”. The method of how he did, who are the circles of Demszky (Lord Mayor at that time) and the prosecutor did not initiate the interrogation of Demszky Gábor as witness. There are only three crimes with which the prosecutor accuses Hagyó out of the fifty ones listed in the indictment. The evidences are mostly attestations by witnesses which are rarely incriminating. For instance János Pálocska – a company owner connected to BKV – based his attestation on rumors, second-hand information.

BKV case: it was a normal contest

The BKV case trial continued with the former leader of the department of investment’s hearing today on the Kecskemét Tribunal. The witness was heard in the count of the C. C. Soft Ltd. accusation. On the hearing he made it obvious: this company made the best offer for the configuration of the passenger informant system.




The former leader of the department started to work at the transportation company in 1974, and in the lack of 10 days he was working there for 35 years, until May, 2008. He led the department of the investment from March, 1997 until August, 2007, when because of the realignment he became to the front of the developmental department. About the questioned period – summer of 2007 – he said that at that time the department controlled 170-180 investments. 

The accusations with the C.C. Soft are misty – reporting from the court room

Not one question came up in the people after the Thursday’s hearing of the BKV case. The technical terms like interface XM 25, data link, guards just fluttered. The court’s and the reader’s situation is not easy. We will try to clear this up, howsoever the situation with the I/14 count seems like misty.





Because of course what just happened in a ”shallow and rough-and-ready” way?

There is a several billion forint project, in it’s maiden name, the whole reconstruction of the Szentendre’s local train, which is proceed in it’s own way, in practice it had to be ready for the fall of 2007. However the modernization of the passenger informant system is dropped out of it, which of course should be do in lightening steps, after all the fall is coming, the school season is coming.