Ministers Named in Oil Mafia Case

High profile political personalities and prominent companies are alleged to have been connected to the oil scandals, according to L. Pallag, who heads the Parliament committee investigating the issue. "Without regards to being in opposition or in power, the whole political scene is involved," Pallag claimed, after a witness testified in committee hearings last week. Minister of the Interior and former head of the National Police S. Pintér, former Minister of Finance I. Szabó, former head of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) S. Lezsák, one-time Smallholder politician G. Zsíros, Malév Hungarian Airlines, oil and gas company MOL, and the Ministry of Defense were all said to have profited from the illegal oil dealings by one of the witnesses heard during a closed session of the oil committee. The oil committee heard the testimony of Zsolt Nógrádi, who admitted to being part of the oil mafia, behind closed doors at the request of Pallag, who a day later made the testimony public fearing it would be classified secret by the Government. Nógádi testified that Pintér, then the National Police Chief, had knowledge of the illegal oil shipments in southeastern Bács-Kiskun county and had appeared several times at underworld functions and repeatedly accepted money from criminals. In addition, Nógrádi claimed that Ft750 million ($2.7 million) was given to the financial officer of the Socialist Party (MSZP), who was a regular customer of the illegally- processed oil. As a result the politicians named have all filed suits against Pallag for slander, while the companies and institutions mentioned publically denied the allegations.