Óbuda's Mayor Remains in Custody Amid Corruption Allegations
Kiss László's detention extended as prosecutor cites risks of evidence tampering and further offenses.
Kiss László, the mayor of Óbuda, a district in Budapest, will remain in custody until May 16, 2025, as per a proposal from the Central Investigative Prosecutor's Office (KNYF).
The extension of his detention is based on concerns regarding the risks of repeat offenses and potential difficulties in collecting evidence.
The prosecutor's office has confirmed that a total of 18 suspects have been interrogated in connection with this case, which revolves around allegations of corruption.
Kiss László was arrested in mid-August 2024 under suspicion of accepting bribes in his official capacity.
According to the allegations, following his election as mayor in October 2019, he entered into an agreement with an acquaintance to ensure that companies affiliated with him would receive regular contracts from the local government.
In exchange, he and other officials were supposed to receive kickbacks.
Allegedly, this involved the Óbuda municipality entering into fictitious, inflated contracts with various economic entities specifically created for this purpose.
Furthermore, it is claimed that the actual services and goods stipulated in these contracts were not provided by the contracted companies but rather delivered at lower prices by other enterprises or even carried out by municipal employees themselves.
An interesting development in this investigation came with the claim that a USB flash drive, containing incriminating evidence, was stolen from a car wash and later ended up with the hacking group Anonymous.
This claim was made by the owner of the USB drive during the inquiry into the corruption case involving the mayor.
A businessman, who was reportedly involved in gathering evidence, reached a settlement with the prosecutor's office.
The leaked recorded conversations include assertions regarding not only opposition politicians but also those aligned with the government.
Further insights from investigative documents obtained by Telex revealed the presence of a fictitious undercover investigator linked to various scandals, including the Dunaferr takeover and the notorious Borkai case.
This individual’s activities inadvertently shed light on the corruption dealings in Óbuda.
Kiss László has consistently denied the accusations.
The Democratic Coalition, the political party he represents, contends that senior officials from the state are behind the proceedings against him, claiming it is an effort to undermine his position.
Meanwhile, Sára Botond, the county leader, issued a legal call to reclaim the mayor's salary, arguing that his detention prevents him from fulfilling his duties.
However, the Óbuda municipality asserts that he is able to work despite his incarceration.
In related developments, Transparency International has released a report indicating that Hungary is once again the most corrupt country in the European Union, with a corruption perception index score of 41 for 2024, marking a decrease of one point from the previous year.
This marks the third consecutive year Hungary has received this distinction.
The organization evaluates countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents high levels of corruption and 100 indicates very low corruption.
Denmark continues to top the list as the least corrupt nation, scoring 90 points.
The extension of his detention is based on concerns regarding the risks of repeat offenses and potential difficulties in collecting evidence.
The prosecutor's office has confirmed that a total of 18 suspects have been interrogated in connection with this case, which revolves around allegations of corruption.
Kiss László was arrested in mid-August 2024 under suspicion of accepting bribes in his official capacity.
According to the allegations, following his election as mayor in October 2019, he entered into an agreement with an acquaintance to ensure that companies affiliated with him would receive regular contracts from the local government.
In exchange, he and other officials were supposed to receive kickbacks.
Allegedly, this involved the Óbuda municipality entering into fictitious, inflated contracts with various economic entities specifically created for this purpose.
Furthermore, it is claimed that the actual services and goods stipulated in these contracts were not provided by the contracted companies but rather delivered at lower prices by other enterprises or even carried out by municipal employees themselves.
An interesting development in this investigation came with the claim that a USB flash drive, containing incriminating evidence, was stolen from a car wash and later ended up with the hacking group Anonymous.
This claim was made by the owner of the USB drive during the inquiry into the corruption case involving the mayor.
A businessman, who was reportedly involved in gathering evidence, reached a settlement with the prosecutor's office.
The leaked recorded conversations include assertions regarding not only opposition politicians but also those aligned with the government.
Further insights from investigative documents obtained by Telex revealed the presence of a fictitious undercover investigator linked to various scandals, including the Dunaferr takeover and the notorious Borkai case.
This individual’s activities inadvertently shed light on the corruption dealings in Óbuda.
Kiss László has consistently denied the accusations.
The Democratic Coalition, the political party he represents, contends that senior officials from the state are behind the proceedings against him, claiming it is an effort to undermine his position.
Meanwhile, Sára Botond, the county leader, issued a legal call to reclaim the mayor's salary, arguing that his detention prevents him from fulfilling his duties.
However, the Óbuda municipality asserts that he is able to work despite his incarceration.
In related developments, Transparency International has released a report indicating that Hungary is once again the most corrupt country in the European Union, with a corruption perception index score of 41 for 2024, marking a decrease of one point from the previous year.
This marks the third consecutive year Hungary has received this distinction.
The organization evaluates countries on a scale from 0 to 100, where 0 represents high levels of corruption and 100 indicates very low corruption.
Denmark continues to top the list as the least corrupt nation, scoring 90 points.
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