Orbán cabinet erased names, data from prosecutors’ documents?
All the documents pertaining to the so-called Völner-Schadl case are available, as well as evidence not included in the indictment, and “none have disappeared”, the head of the Central Investigation Prosecutor’s Office (KNYF) said on Thursday.
At a press conference, Pál Fürcht rejected accusations against the office that “facts” had been removed from the indictment. The indictment contains all data the prosecutor’s office had deemed provable, the charges against the accused and the evidence supporting the facts, he added. Proof not supporting the charges had also been filed, “all data can be followed up on,” he said.
We wrote HERE that a recording by Péter Magyar, the former spouse of ex-Justice Minister Judit Varga, surfaced, revealing that close associates of the government tampered with documents in the ongoing corruption trial involving Fidesz politicians.
The case concerns an investigation involving Pál Völner, a former state secretary of the justice ministry, and György Schadl, the former head of the Hungarian Chamber of Bailiffs, MTI wrote.
Prosecutors allege that Schadl had regularly bribed Volner until July 2021 and used his influence to secure the appointment of bailiffs of his choosing in exchange for kickbacks.
Charges of corruption, property crimes and money laundering have been filed against a total of 22 people in the case.
Biggest bribery scandal concerning a deputy minister of Orbán
According to the indictment, Schadl paid Völner a total of at least 83 million forints (EUR 217,000) in bribes between May 2018 and July 2021, who then exercised his influence as state secretary and deputy minister in Schadl’s interest.
Fürcht said that former Justice Minister Judit Varga was heard as a witness by the Metropolitan Investigation Prosecutor’s Office on Wednesday, declining to disclose details on an ongoing investigation.
He said that several separate investigations had been launched on connected matters, and were under way at other investigation authorities.
He said he would not comment on the evidence submitted in the ongoing investigation but the authorities would provide information once the investigations are completed.
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