CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE IN PM’S RESIDENCE CASE

Gyurcsány’s company built the swimming pool for family use. Last week in Magyar Nemzet a series of articles appeared about the investment in the residence of the Prime Minister and his family. The house stands in the most expensive place in Buda.

PM Gyurcsány’s wife, Klára Dobrev had a complete recreational park built in the house with a swimming pool and sauna, contracted by Fittelina Ltd, a company owned in common with her husband. The request for the building permit, however, was not submitted by Fittelina Ltd – it was submitted by the owner of the apartment, Klára Dobrev in January 1996, and the documents prove that it was the family who used the pool.

The construction of the swimming pool worth HUF 30 million can be followed from the books of Fittelina Ltd and its successor, Altus company. Below the garden they have built a fitness centre with a 2.8 m inner height on 250 m2, with two entrances, one from the garden and one from the main building. The swimming pool hall has a basic area of more than 130 m2 while the pool itself in irregular shape takes 60 m2, complete with heating and lighting from below and a machinery provides a countercurrent for swimming in one place. In the hall there are ornamental plants and there is a bar, too. There is also a conditioning room, solarium, sauna, showers and cabins with extra equipments providing the prescribed temperature and humidity of the air. The residence had been the property of the self-government and in 1995 it was declared a condominium consisting of three apartments. From the documents it seems to be evident that the investment served family purposes and Fittelina Ltd was founded and registered later to make the investment appear that of a company to reclaim V.A.T. and reduce the costs by amortization. András Batiz, government spokesman claims the investment was legal while Premier Gyurcsány said his company, Altus would sue Magyar Nemzet for libel. In a commercial radio Prime Minister Gyurcsány said it was a political attack against him and he mentioned that Fittelina Ltd had wanted to build an office block on the neighbouring site and they submitted a request for a building permit several times at the local self-government. Ferenc Gyurcsány said he was paying special attention to divide his private and business investments.