Hungarian Prime Minister could be investigated by court

The Central District Court of Buda has ruled that an investigation into Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s trip to Italy is still possible. The Hungarian PM has recently traveled to Egypt in an Airbus plane belonging to the Hungarian Defence Forces. However, instead of returning him back to Hungary, it dropped him off in Tuscany after the visit ended.

Independent MP Ákos Hadházy claimed that the plane took a detour of a thousand kilometres. This could have cost taxpayers at least HUF 3-4 million. However, Minister Gergely Gulyás argued that Orbán had only disembarked on his way home. Hadházy filed a complaint, but it was initially rejected by the prosecutor’s office. He recently announced on Facebook that the court has overturned the decision, suggesting that the case will likely be investigated, writes 24.hu.

New mechanism

Hadházy explained that he was able to challenge the prosecutor’s decision in court due to a legal remedy introduced by the government. This legal remedy allows corruption cases where an investigation was refused by the prosecutor’s office to be taken to court. It was the first time such a decision was made, according to the opposition politician.

The court stated that the facts relied upon by the prosecutor were not fully explored. Hadházy argued that even though the technical arrangements for the prime minister’s private trip may be a state obligation, they could still potentially constitute a crime against property. The Airbus A319 aircraft is owned by the Hungarian State and is under the custody of the Ministry of Defence. It can be made available to the Prime Minister only by the trustee, who must adhere to normal management rules.

Hadházy acknowledged the significance of the court’s decision. It is a landmark case, as it marked the first time that EU pressure compelled the authorities to investigate. However, he cautioned against overestimating its impact, as the prosecution still has various means to obstruct an investigation.

“Merely initiating an investigation does not guarantee that it will be conducted properly. The process could be protracted for many years and eventually closed without results,”

he wrote about the situation.

The reaction

The Central Investigating Prosecutor’s Office (Központi Nyomozó Főügyészség) responded to the court’s decision. They clarified that neither the Prime Minister nor any other person had committed an abuse of office. Furthermore, they indicated that the only liability subject to investigation would be that of the Hungarian Defence Forces as the trustee, but solely in terms of cost-effectiveness.

They also maintained that providing the aircraft for personal protection purposes did not constitute misconduct on the part of the trustee. The court further expressed the need to clarify the relationship between security requirements and cost-effectiveness.

Source: 24.hu