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 network, while he circumvented foreign trade on numerous occasions as a member of the management of Eurocom, a firm established by the secret service. In addition, he had a close relationship with Endre Simon, who was in charge of OMFB affairs, as well as Simon’s boss, János Sebestyén.480 The irregular deal involving the Lenin Kohászati Művek steelworks was obviously concluded on behalf of the interest group behind it. The tungsten steel case was covered up in 1969, but the network sacrificed Dévai five years later, just as it did Simon. After the ‘ Fábián case was closed, counterintelligence also regarded Dévai as a suspect based on the compromising evidence revealed during the investigation, and he was convicted a year later. They were both sacrificed by the network, you could even say they took the fall, while those counterintelligence was unable to take action against survived the investigations without so much as a slap on the wrist. During the investigation against Dévai, the Diósgyőr corruption case from five years previously came onto the radar of counterintelligence, who attempted to ascertain how much damage those involved actually caused and who was responsible for the whole affair. It was revealed that the employees of the steelworks reported the contract to the county authorities immediately after it was signed, but the investigation documents dating back to the time could no longer be found when Dévai was exposed in 1974, as “according to oral communication from Division III/II, the relevant materials were destroyed - under orders.”481 Unfortunately, there is no indication in the source regarding who ordered the documents to be destroyed. The only contemporary document dates back to March 1970, in which the police only expressed stated regarding the case that “you can expect some risk associated with every deal,”482 even though the risk apparent at the time when the agreement was signed exceeded the usual risks by far, and the damage caused was untold. As a result, the case was swept off the detectives’ desk in 1970 at the order of someone very high 480 Borvendég 2018 481 ÁBTL 3.1.9 V-160338/9 Request by Counterintelligence Division III/II of the Ministry of Interior to László Kondi, Police Lieutenant Colonel, head of the Division III/II of the Borsod County Police Headquarters, 14 March 1974, p. 9 482 ÁBTL 3.1.9 V-160338/9 LKM steelworks alloy-steel deal, 11 March 1970, p. 7-8 172
