Former Socialist, liberal politicians sentenced over selling downtown properties

Budapest, January 24 (MTI) – The former Socialist deputy mayor of Budapest’s sixth district and 11 other defendants have been handed suspended prison sentences for selling two apartment buildings on Andrassy Avenue without a public tender back in 2004.

György Fürst and his accomplices, all former Socialist and Free Democrat deputies, were charged with selling the properties at an artificially low price and causing damages of 350 million forints (EUR 1.1m) to the district.

The prison terms range between 18 months and 2 years, while the court also fined Furst 70 million forints (EUR 227,000).

All defendants pleaded not guilty, insisting the lawsuit was politically motivated.

Three defendants, including the mayor of the district, have died since the suit was filed five years ago.

Source: MTI