Hungary’s central bank has imposed a €122,000 fine on oil and gas group MOL for failing to promptly disclose information about a disruption in crude oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline. The regulator said the company did not provide timely notice to investors.
According to the central bank, MOL should have informed investors by 12 February. Instead, MOL issued an official statement on 16 February, after the disruption had already been widely reported in the media and discussed by government officials.
Druzhba pipeline damage and disclosure timeline
The case relates to damage to the Druzhba pipeline at the end of January. The damage temporarily interrupted crude oil supplies. The central bank said the incident constituted price-sensitive information that could have influenced investor decisions and therefore required immediate disclosure.
The regulator has not indicated any further details about the disclosure-related enforcement beyond the fine amount. MOL continues to cooperate with the authorities, according to its statement.
Separate probe into MOL share trading after incident
The central bank has also opened a separate investigation into trading activity in MOL shares during the period following the pipeline disruption. The probe was triggered by concerns raised by the Hungarian Association for the Protection of Individual Investors (TEBESZ). TEBESZ argued that the market was not informed in time about developments affecting a key supply route.
Public filings on the Budapest Stock Exchange show that four MOL executives sold shares worth a combined €4.4 million between 27 January and 6 February. This period overlaps directly with the disruption timeframe described by the regulator. The central bank has not released further details on the ongoing investigation.
