She said the institute has no idea whose device it is nor how it ended up in the office.

The institute won a case against the government in the European Court of Human Rights on Tuesday regarding a Hungarian law permitting surveillance of individuals without a court order.

The Interior Ministry said the bugging device is readily available for Ft 20,000, adding that its domestic intelligence-gathering agency does not purchase its equipment from websites nor at corner stores.

However, institute president László Majtényi told Klubrádió that an expert who sought anonymity examined the device and said it is difficult to obtain.

He said its origin remains unknown, but the institute has nothing to hide.

A search began after Prime Minister’s Office leader János Lázár said secret service data shows that organisations supported by George Soros are working on behalf of “hidden forces”.

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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