RFE/RL NEWSLINE
Vol. 1, No. 51, 12 June1997

UPDATE ON HUNGARIAN SPYING SCANDAL. Kalman Kocsis, the former head of the
Hungarian Intelligence Office, on 11 June appeared before the parliament's
National Security Committee to testify in the investigation into the so-called
"Operation Birch Tree." In March, it was revealed that the Intelligence Office
spied on members of the parliament (see "RFE/RL Newsline," 18 April and 12 May
1998). Kocsis, who has meanwhile been appointed ambassador to Bosnia, said the
law has not been broken and those guilty of violating internal regulations
have been punished. Committee chairman Kalman Konya said the committee must
not only investigate the breach of the law but also determine what made it
possible. He suggested the committee now hear testimony from Civil Secret
Service Minister Istvan Nikolitis and chief of staff, Maj.-Gen. Tamas Somogyi,
Hungarian media report on 12 June.

HUNGARIAN OFFICIAL SACKED OVER FALSE CREDENTIALS. Agriculture Minister Frigyes
Nagy on 11 June dismissed Deputy State Secretary Lajos Buzassy because of a
university degree said to have been obtained "under dubious circumstances,"
Hungarian media reported on 12 June. Buzassy received a degree from the
University of Horticulture in just three months, without having registered as
a student there He claims to have obtained the degree lawfully but
acknowledges that the university revoked it after a parliamentary
investigation into the case. He says he will appeal the decision.

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