EU funds stolen by corruption network in Hungary: charges filed
The Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office has pressed charges in a corruption case involving tender grants. The Prosecutor General’s Office has indicated 54 individuals, including senior officials, and 25 implicated legal entities.
The funds received surpassed HUF 25 Billion (EUR 64,614,993) in total value, resulting in an extensive investigation spanning over 100,000 pages of documents and a 400-page indictment. The charges pertain to bribery and related offences. Details suggest the involvement of 108 applications, primarily from the Economic Development and Innovation Operational Programme funded by the EU, alongside 8 applications from the Health Support Programme, funded domestically, according to Index. The indictment alleges that:
A key official established a highly structured corruption network, leveraging extensive connections with project managers and executives of applicant companies.
The total value of the funding applications submitted surpassed HUF 25 Billion.
The details
The statement from the Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office asserts that the scheme involved this individual, along with a cohort of officials under his representation, orchestrating the procurement of tender wins, manipulating audits in favour of companies and granting favourable evaluations for tender applications in exchange for millions of euros. The Prosecutor General’s Office provided an extensive overview of the investigation, revealing that over 300 applications were scrutinised, 50 locations were searched and over 600 pieces of criminal evidence were seized. The case yielded a staggering 100,000 pages of investigative documents, with the indictment spanning approximately 400 pages. In the indictment, the Prosecutor General’s Office recommended a prison sentence, several million forints in fines, and a permanent ban from public office for the 12 officials, alongside fines for the implicated companies. Additionally, the Prosecutor General’s Office proposed the confiscation of assets amounting to around one billion forints (roughly EUR 2,584,599), derived from corruption, from the officials. The statement further explained that to facilitate asset confiscation, all assets – both those surpassing the received bribe amounts and any inconsistent with their documented income – were seized from the defendants and their relatives and placed the defendants under arrest. Throughout the proceedings, several suspects made revealing confessions that significantly aided the office in solving the case.
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6 Comments
In my time in Hungary,, it has been so common for me to visit guest house or similar bussines that receivce EU fundings, and when they charge the fee, they only receive cash, can you guess why?, and then We have Mr Orban saying “ukraine is a corrupt country, they can not join NATO / EU” ” Hungary is not corrupt country, it is just lies from the left”
ANOTHER factual horrendous piece of news – that just add’s to the list of the corruption of the Orban/Fidesz Government of Hungary.
HOW can a Government body – yes a Government body, place charges as referred in this article on call it NETWORKS – that would be of substantial supporters voters of Orban/Fidesz – when the GOVERNMENT it-self – have been proven of GUILT by the European Union – Courts of Justice, doing acting out the FRAUD and Misappropriation of European Union Funding as acts of CRIME ?
It’s a clear case of Networks responding, to the GOVERNMENT body – you did it, got CHARGED – is it not Hypocritical of you issuing CHARGES against us ?
This will be called a Doubled Edged Sided Sword of GUILT.
WHAT is obvious is the number of Orban/ Fidesz “supporters” in these Networks – that AGAIN more likely WILL exhibit display to the citizens of Hungary the CORRUPTION that lies in the DNA of the Orban/Fidesz Political Party, the party that are the Government of Hungary – there ABUSE on the millions of honest, hard working – from all “stations in life” – Hungarians.
Why not wait until the verdict. Oh! Opposition just dirties the water and does not believe in the rule of law.
Rampant corruption in all areas hs been going on for years and it is not a victimless crime because stealing from the people means less money available to improve everyones life. Couple this with moral corruption vis children and the whole place stinks.
It is not the opposition dirtying the water THE WHOLE WORLD knows Hungary is a moral cesspit of corruption, curtailing democracy in many ways and that Orban is a puppet of Putin and a total disgrace who should be voted out of office. Wake up Hungary your country is being stolen from you.
Everyone make this sweeping statement “rampant corruption”. No one has come up with concrete proof. So, until you have poof, keep quiet.
Keith, the whole world does not agree with you, so try not to exaggerate.
Sorry Maria but you should look in back copies of various newspapers in Hungary both before and after Orban. The M0 scandal, the motorway where the tender documents specified that the only contractors who could tender had to have a tarmacadam plant near the route. The granting of the tobacco shop licence where BAT was frozen out and would have paid 10 times the figure accepted by ?.
The changing of the deposit by alcohol wholesalers which is held by the Government thereby forcing several smaller companies to cease trading and lose their business’ despite having exemplary records. Ikarus bus which was bankrupted by corruption despite being a market leader. The sacking of a number of high ranking military officers for corruption.
I stand by what I wrote and the above is only a small amoint and if you are Hungarian you will have access to sourves which I do not/