Borvendég Zsuzsanna: Fabulous Spy Games. How international trade networks with the West developed after 1945 - A Magyarságkutató Intézet Kiadványai 24. (Budapest, 2021)
ATTACK ON THE OMFB - The Siemens lobby
FABULOUS SPY GAMES player in the cooperation. Sicontact was founded with share capital of 8.5 million Hungarian forints, which was continuously increased over the years to eventually exceed HUF 82 million in 1988.467 The office had 44 employees, including three West German citizens.468 Sicontact primarily (and officially) focused on preparing and implementing partnerships between Siemens and various Hungarian companies, while also carrying out maintenance, organising training, and assisting with planning and development. Accomplishing the cooperation with Siemens was important not just because this was the best way to ensure that the most modern technology developed by Siemens found its way into the country (when conducting simple trade deals, there was a better chance of phased-out products being given to the Hungarians), but also because it meant that Hungarian engineers, local specialists trained by the manufacturer, performed the servicing of the Siemens computers used by institutions in areas that state security considered sensitive. Sebestyén therefore ensured that the only seemingly irrefutable argument in favour of IBM Hungary slipped through his opponents’ fingers. Sicontact was crucially important in acquiring products on the COCOM list by supplying products to both civilian and military intelligence. Its Hungarian director in 1980 was Ottó Haár,469 who was recruited in 1954 by the intelligence department of the Ministry of Interior when he was sent to Yugoslavia for trade talks as an employee of Nikex.470 In later years, he also worked at various trade offices, where he was used alternately by the Ministry of Interior and MNVK-2. In 1958, military intelligence requested his transfer from the Ministry of Interior,471 then, before his placement in India, he officially returned to the Ministry of Interior in 1962 because intelligence and counterintelligence both wanted to use him at the trade office.472 In 1969, he was sent to Kenya, but, according to civilian intelligence there, he did not carry out his secret service 467 Sebők 2017 p. 142 468 ÁBTL 3.2.5 0-8-475 p. 14 Report on the Siemens AG case, 28 February 1980 469 ÁBTL 3.2.5 0-8-475. 13. Report on the Siemens AG case, 28 February 1980 470 ÁBTL 3.2.1 Bt-2331. 36. Recruitment proposal, 9 July 1954 471 ÁBTL 3.2.1 Bt-2331. 81. Service request, 2 May 1958 472 ÁBTL 3.2.1 Bt-2331. 86-87. Training plan, 14 August 1962 168
