Toaso arrives in Hungary

Budapest, April 27 (MTI) – Elod Toaso, the Hungarian national taken into pre-trial detention in Bolivia on terrorism charges in 2009, arrived in Hungary on Monday afternoon.

At a press conference held at Liszt Ferenc International Airport, the Hungarian-Romanian citizen rejected the charge he had attempted to carry out a terrorist attack in Bolivia.

Toaso thanked the Baptist Charity and the foreign ministry for helping him to return home.

Speaking at the press conference, Toaso said that although he had left Bolivia legally, his departure was unexpected. The Bolivian authorities denied him his passport after being released from prison, and it was only thanks to the Hungarian foreign ministry that he was given travel documents, he said.

When asked about his reasons for going to Bolivia, Toaso said he chose to travel to the country out of a thirst for adventure. Toaso said he was offered a job in Bolivia as a web designer, and he was there to prepare a film shoot, adding that he had no other reason for traveling there.

There remain, however, a number of unanswered questions in the case, he said, adding that he hoped the truth would one day be uncovered.

The Baptist Charity had been following Toaso’s case for six years, Szenczy said. The head of the Baptist Charity added that a statement given by the prosecutor in charge of his case — according to which the guns found in the 2009 raid against Toaso and his group originated from the Bolivian police — cast further doubt on Toaso’s guilt.

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed earlier that the ministry had provided a temporary passport for Toaso, and that the Hungarian-Romanian citizen received the same consular help as all Hungarians do when they get in trouble anywhere in the world.

The Baptist Charity issued a statement on Sunday saying that it rescued Toaso and Mario Tadic, a Croat, from Bolivia, “with technical help” from Hungary’s foreign ministry. The statement added that the two men had not felt safe in Bolivia and asked for Hungary’s help.

Toaso was part of the group arrested by Bolivia’s special forces in 2009 on suspicion of plotting a terrorist attack. Bolivian-Hungarian Eduardo Rozsa-Flores, an ethnic Hungarian from Romania Arpad Magyarosi and Michael Dwyer, an Irishman, died in the police raid.

based on the article of MTI

Photos: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters