Borvendég Zsuzsanna: Fabulous Spy Games. How international trade networks with the West developed after 1945 - A Magyarságkutató Intézet Kiadványai 24. (Budapest, 2021)
‘FABULOUS’ IN HUNGARY - The role of Frankfurt
FABULOUS SPY GAMES not. No information was gathered on Pikier, no investigation was initiated, and he is not even mentioned in György Péter s investigation materials, which also implies that the smuggling of precious metals and coins was used as an excuse, a cover story to corner or dispose of him. If this is what really happened, the theory of the Zionist conspiracy seems to be refuted, because if anti-Semitism had been one of the underlying motifs, Pikier should have been interrogated during the investigation. Who knows why Péter had to be silenced? What could he possibly know that was so dangerous to some people that they did not shy away even from murder? It was previously established that Rezső Nyers, as finance minister, was trying to curb the deals brokered by János Fekete and János Nyerges back in 1960, when the banker and the foreign trade official wanted to establish intermediary firms to carry out re-exporting transactions. The underlying principles of the new economic mechanism went against the interests of the foreign trade lobby on several counts, because they were intended to decentralise the operations of industrial companies and expand their independence and competence. It seems possible that, through his brother, György Péter had access to information on the interest group wielding increasing power that could have been used against them to the benefit of the reformist economists. This is just another theory, but is not, however, unrelated to those seeking to find the key in the background to the 1968 reforms. When György Péter died, Ferenc Pikier was already head of division of the National Technical Development Committee (OMFB) established by Sebestyén. Due to the investigations against Hoffmann, the telephones of the institution were tapped and the offices of the leaders were bugged, which is how they discovered that Pikier was truly terrified following his brothers mysterious death. His telephone conversations became increasingly shallow as he believed civilian intelligence was sniffing around him.322 His fear is understandable, but it does not give an answer to the definitive question of whether he was afraid because he felt at risk due to the smuggling and it seemed logical to him that investigations would be extended to include him, or because he knew exactly who killed his brother and why. 322 ÁBTL 3.1.5. 0-15829/1, p. 52 Executive report, 23 June 1969 120
