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PARLIAMENT DEBATES BILL ON MONEY LAUNDERING, FIGHT AGAINST FINANCING TERRORISM

 

Parliament debated a bill on money laundering and the prevention of the financing of terrorism on Thursday. János Fónagy, state secretary of the ministry of economic development, said that the government was determined to whiten the economy, take action against money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The current proposals also aim to make regulations more precise and customer-friendly, based on the experiences of market players, he added. Gyula Szeberényi of ruling Fidesz said that the proposals also aimed to bring Hungary closer to meeting international norms. Gergely Arató of opposition DK called the proposals on money laundering a “joke”. Had the government indeed wanted to act against money laundering, they “should have named the owners of several castles, helicopters and yachts” and place some of them under criminal procedure, he insisted. “Oligarchs close to Fidesz”, with government support, “are hiding many billions of forints” in private capital funds, “which is the real area of money laundering for Fidesz billionaires,” he said.