NEW INCORRECT ALLEGATIONS WORDED BY BLIKK

Under its article on the metro 4 project issued today with the title of "So the metro money was drained" the tabloid newspaper of Blikk is trying to suggest that in mysterious circumstances the newspaper has taken possession of an also mysterious “consulting" contract of nearly 9 billion forints value, in addition contracts were signed as though "contractors are dictating", moreover there is no supervising engineer to the project either. In the title of the article the newspaper judges instead of the authorities, and practically slanders the leaders of the metro construction with corruption.

In case of large projects, also in accordance with the FIDIC international engineering standards, there is a general division of tasks between the Client, the Engineer and the Contractors. Thus the engineer company is one leg to a three-legged table, being not less important than the DBR, or the Contractors. In all large international projects there is an engineer organization like this, which receives remuneration in a similar proportion comparing to the project’s volume. Without the Engineer no project can be launched and managed. His role is equally important than that of the Client or the Contractor. Although we have no knowledge of how the tabloid newspaper “took possession” of the contract, we would like to recommend to the attention of both the newspaper and the news agency taking over information from the newspaper, that on the project’s website – besides some 40 other contracts – the “mysterious” contract of the Engineer’s company has been available for years.

As per the ominous contract the Eurometro Kft. is providing the obligatory so called FIDIC engineering tasks. They include, among others, reviewing and commenting plans and documents prepared by the Contractors, making proposals to the Clint with reference to their approval/rejection, conducting the work site handover-takeover process, holding weekly cooperation meetings, supervising site works frequently on daily basis, inspecting the contractors’ compliance with the requirements and responsibilities recorded under the contracts for the construction works, participating on the discussions with authorities, operators, utility companies, cooperating in the management of the so called interfaces, reviewing the works schedules prepared by the contractors, arranging works schedule meetings, and signing off performance for works completed by the contractors, and respectively checking the invoices and their attachments submitted.The Engineer’s task that is coming more and more into view is reviewing the claims and variation requests submitted by the contractors and making decisions on their merits. With his detailed knowledge gained from the beginning while managing the project, with descriptions of scenarios and detailed reasoning of his decisions the Engineer supports the Client in disputes.

In addition to the above the system of penalties and claims of additional works has been incorporated into the contracts of metro 4 in accordance with the noted FIDIC international engineering standards also. This is also available on the project’s website, just as DBR informed the press and the public under a separate communication that metro 4 has an independent supervising Engineer, in the person of a specialist with very significant professional experience, who provides the necessary technical, legal and lawful information in any case, thus with special regard to the contracts signed associated with metro 4. Previously the newspaper reported that iron was likely being stolen from the metro construction, as one of its readers found “mysterious” iron elements at a depot. Later it turned out that it was unused waste, which of course was not paid by DBR for the Contractor. But the newspaper has written also beside others that due to the metro construction the Feneketlen lake ebbed, or that too that one of the subcontractors transported earth illegally, although none of these were reality.

DBR does not know that behind the misleading, false statements whether there is simply the unpreparedness and recklessness of the reporter, or intentional defamation, but DBR is forced to take the necessary legal action against the newspaper. In front of the public DBR notifies the tabloid newspaper of Blikk that in the future it should try to confine itself to the facts, and respectively should not mix facts with different “editing tricks” such a way as by that the metro 4 project would appear in negative aspect.

Budapest, 10th February 2010
DBR Metro Project Directorate