The Hungarian oil company MOL said on Tuesday it had not been officially notified by relevant bodies about any legal case against the MOL Group or its officials in Croatia.
The MOL Group once again categorically denies the accusations of any violations, the company said in a statement, adding that CEO Zsolt Hernadi had given a detailed deposition to the Hungarian authorities regarding bribe-giving allegations as a witness.
MOL said Hernadi answered all questions put by the relevant bodies and that his deposition finally set the record straight regarding this story.
Croatia's anti-corruption office USKOK said on its website today that it had asked the Hungarian authorities earlier this month again to be allowed to interrogate Hernadi, otherwise it could not wrap up its investigation of him for allegedly giving former Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader EUR 10 million in bribes for a dominant position in the Croatian oil company INA.
The Hungarian state prosecutor's office turned down USKOK's initial request because of national interests, replying to USKOK in July that sharing the information requested would endanger Hungary's security.
Since Hernadi has not been interrogated, the proceedings against him have been separated from those against Sanader and the investigation is still under way, USKOK said, adding that it would be completed once relevant Hungarian bodies granted its request or interrogated Hernadi themselves and forwarded his deposition.
USKOK said it forwarded to Hungarian State Prosecutor Peter Polt on September 21 copies of all evidence for use in proceedings in Hungary.
Like Hernadi, Sanader has denied USKOK's accusations.
