Quaestor CEO Csaba Tarsoly wrote a letter to the Prime Minister informing him of the investment house’s problems on 9 March – at the same time as he briefed the central bank on the issue – according to the Minister of State for Government Communication in an interview with ATV Television’s “Szabad szemmel” programme broadcast on Saturday evening.
In the programme, András Giró-Szász handed over a copy of the letter addressed to the Prime Minister from Mr. Tarsoly, but did not agree to disclose its full contents, due to lack of authorization. He recalled that twelve days earlier, the Prime Minister had issued an order at the cabinet meeting on 25 February that the ministries could not keep assets at investment houses.
Mr. Giró-Szász added that Viktor Orbán did not have the opportunity to take steps on 9 March.
The Minister of State rejected accusations of insider dealing, calling them politically motivated, unfounded allegations.
He also explained that Mr. Tarsoly briefed the Prime Minister on the state of the investment house on the first page of the two-page letter, and proposed a solution on the second page. The Minister of State pointed out that this letter was the first occasion on which Mr. Tarsoly informed Mr. Orbán of the situation.
In the interview it emerged that the Quaestor CEO had indicated in the letter that he intended to file for bankruptcy and added that the company had assets and investments worth HUF 300 billion in future value. Mr. Tarsoly also declared that he believed that through this, losses of fifty thousand clients could be avoided, and 800 workplaces could be retained, along with trust in the financial and capital markets.