MVM Group denied access to public data – atlatszo.hu filed a lawsuit

In our very first article we reported that after LMP’s lawsuit MVM provided very limited information on its internal reports about previous year’s suspicious transactions. At that time we appealed to MVM requesting missing information. In the meantime the company denied our request to disclose remaining public information.

One of our readers shared with us some of the information erased from the internal reports by MVM. From that it appears that MVM is not acting in good faith when refuses to disclose public data pleading it is trade secret.

1. figure: erased version from MVM

1. figure: original version (leak)

The first two figures clearly show that the public company has some messy issues which existence doesn’t even want acknowledge in front of the public. What other reason could be that the references to the contracts with EPIC and Esplanade Ltd. has been deleted even from the table of contents.

2. figure: erased version from MVM

2. figure: original version (leak)

It is also difficult to explain with trade secret that MVM completely wiped out references to internal reports not requested by LMP’s trial. We cannot escape the feeling that these parts are erased just to prevent the public to be aware that there are more internal reports concerning the violations.

3. figure: erased version from MVM

3. figure: original version (leak)

Finally it is utterly inexplicable that a reference to Istvan Kocsis’s – former CEO of MVM, current boss of BKV (Transport Company of Budapest) – personal responsibility would constitute as trade secret at a state-owned company.

4. figure: erased version from MVM

4. figure: original version (leak)

Since we assume that the remained secret information would legally not qualify as trade secret of a public company, we took legal action against MVM. Our aim is to stop its practice of hiding information about unlawful use of public goods.

According to the Civil Code, paragraph (1) Article 81 of the Act IV of 1959 “publication, however, shall not include any data pertaining to technological procedures, technical solutions, manufacturing processes, work organization, logistical methods or know-how that, if made public, would be unreasonably detrimental for the business operation to which it is related, provided that withholding such information shall not interfere with the publication of public information in the public interest”

>>> The denial of our data request (Hungarian, PDF)

>>> The claim against MVM can be downloaded here (Hungarian, PDF)