Hungarian Police on the verge of bankruptcy? Forensic experts sue for payment

The Hungarian police have failed to pay many of their forensic experts, leaving them with no other choice but to take their cases to court. The police acknowledge the arrears but claim that the fault lies with the timing of their budget. The experts, in turn, assert that the police are in serious financial trouble.

The Hungarian police are not paying their experts

The Hungarian police headquarters are so short on money that they cannot even pay their own forensic experts, 24.hu reports. The affected experts have told the paper that some of them have decided to file lawsuits against the police to finally receive their fees.

In some cases, payments have been late for months, putting the experts in an increasingly difficult position: they are obliged to accept police assignments but must also pay taxes on the amounts invoiced but not yet paid to them. This means they might essentially work for free and then be forced to pay taxes on money not received.

“My invoices submitted last December have not been paid yet: I have already had to pay HUF 600,000 (EUR 1,500) in corporate tax on the amount invoiced but not collected,” an IT expert, who asked to remain anonymous, told 24.hu, claiming he is owed around HUF 4-5 million (EUR 10-12,000) by the Hungarian police.

Another expert, who also wished to remain nameless, reported an almost identical experience: his invoices issued in December 2022 were paid a year later, and he has been waiting in vain for his salary since December 2023.

“I now joke with the investigators who send me out when they ask when I will send the bill of fees,” one of the experts interviewed said. “I’ll only have to pay taxes if I invoice them. And the investigators are aware that the police have a huge backlog.”

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that even a court ruling may not ensure that experts receive their wages. According to 24.hu, there have been several cases where an expert had to go to a bailiff after a final court decision to finally get paid. Moreover, many do not want to raise official complaints about the issue, fearing that they will be given fewer assignments if they do.

According to forensic experts, the Hungarian police’s financial troubles are clearly the reason why they are continually not receiving their fees.

Hungarian Police force.
Photo: Police Hungary Official / Facebook

Forensic expert says the situation can be a source of danger

IT forensic expert Tamás Fülöp told 24.hu about his own experience, having had to litigate for payment too. He warns that this financial situation has serious security and corruption risks.

“Many forensic experts make a living from police secondment,” said Fülöp. “If they are not paid or only paid in part, they can become vulnerable. Suppose – hypothetically only, because I obviously don’t know any such experts – that an expert struggling to make a living every day is offered five million forints by the suspect’s lawyer to destroy evidence. He will certainly think about the offer.”

Kálmán Deli, president of the Association for Justice Experts, added that the situation of forensic experts is also complicated by the fact that their work is underpaid in the first place. A delay in payments, Deli explains, could jeopardise people’s basic livelihood.

Police say the timing of funds is to blame

Asked by 24.hu about the reason for the late payments and whether they have any statements on the issue of overdue payments, the National Police Headquarters replied:

“The police are meeting their payment obligations in line with the pace of budgetary resources, which does not follow the fluctuations in the assignment of experts for individual cases. As in the past, the police will continue to meet all its payment obligations.”

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Source: 24.hu