Report: Tax chief could be dismissed by summer

History

The head of Hungary’s National Tax and Customs Authority (NAV) Ildikó Vida, who earlier admitted she was one of the individuals banned from entering the United States, could be dismissed by summer, Hungarian online daily Népszabadság Online (nol.hu) reported today citing several unnamed NAV insiders.

Népszabadság said government sources have not yet confirmed the rumor, however, they did say that the Hungarian government has been discussing the career model and salary proposal for tax authority workers made by Vida, a model which Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has not yet approved.

Népszabadság notes that media oligarch Lajos Simicska, whose good relationship with Orbán has recently soured, and Vida are in a confidential relationship.

Vida made headlines in October, after it was revealed that six Hungarians were denied entry to the United States on suspicion of corruption. All six people are government employees or affiliated with the government, André Goodfriend, former chargé dʼaffaires of the United States embassy in Budapest, said, but citing privacy laws, he refused to give details despite Hungarian government entreaties. While he did not name the officials, Vida admitted that she was one of the people to whom Goodfriend was referring.

Vida initiated a lawsuit against Goodfriend on charges he libeled her when speaking about corruption in Hungary, and asked the Chief Prosecutorʼs Office and the Budapest Municipal Court to request that U.S. authorities lift Goodfriend’s diplomatic immunity. The United States said it would not do so and as such the Hungarian government withdrew the case.

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