Former Confidant of Palkovics Resigns from Position Paying over $6000 Monthly after Charges Filed Against Him**
Gyula Barta-Eke, the former company head of the Zala Ltd. Automotive Testing Track, operating under the supervision of László Palkovics, has left his position, as revealed by the company's court documents.
Barta-Eke's resignation followed charges brought against him by the prosecution for accepting bribes and influence peddling, among other roles, specifically in an organization outsourced to the Foundation for the Széchenyi István University together with several other companies.
With his departure effectuated on March 13, the ex-company leader relinquished his monthly gross salary of 2.3 million Hungarian Forints (approximately $6100), benefits including an annual amount of 450,000 Forints (around $1200) on a SZÉP card (a type of fringe benefit in Hungary for leisure activities), and the use of a company car.
As reported by 24.hu, Barta-Eke is the twelfth defendant in a corruption scandal spanning several ministries, which led to the Central Investigative Chief Prosecutor's Office charging 54 individuals in February. The scandal surfaced in April 2022 when 150 prosecutors and police officers conducted raids at dozens of locations, primarily targeting ministry officials accused of facilitating the acquisition of non-repayable European Union grants in exchange for bribes.
Barta-Eke, who also previously served as the Chancellor of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, helmed the IFKA Public Benefit Nonprofit Ltd. from 2019 to 2022, under the oversight of the Ministry of Innovation and Technology then headed by László Palkovics. During his tenure, he was responsible for issuing pre-qualification certificates for certain EU projects.
According to the indictment, Barta-Eke allegedly demanded three million Forints (about $8000) from applicants in exchange for these certificates. Furthermore, leveraging his connections at the Ministry of Finance, he allegedly ensured that the applications following his issued IFKA pre-qualification certificates would receive a favorable review and subsequent funding, requesting payments amounting to 4% of the support sum received, on several occasions.
For these actions, prosecutors have requested a confiscation of assets amounting to 124.5 million Forints (roughly $330,000) against Barta-Eke, alongside a five-year prison sentence.
Attempts to reach Gyula Barta-Eke and László Palkovics for comments on the prosecution's allegations were made, but responses have yet to be received from either party.