Polt said that homicide figures had been decreasing until 2013, when it was somewhat higher, with 138 murders reported. In terms of corruption, Polt said that the number of cases involving public officials or organised criminals had been on the rise.

While in 2010, 481 graft cases were reported, the number had risen to 1,105 in 2013, he said. The prosecutor’s office records an average one million cases each year and charges are raised in about half.

Most of the procedures (96%) are completed, Polt said. The opposition Socialists accused the public prosecutor of showing bias in political cases.

Party spokesman Gergely Bárándy said that whereas 99 percent of public prosecutors were doing a proper job one percent had become the “vassals of the governing parties”. Radical nationalist Jobbik said the prosecutor was avoiding holding politicians to account with the excuse of procedural errors.

Party MP Gábor Staudt said that ruling lawmakers appeared to be beyond the reach of the law on graft.

Staudt also urged the prosecutor to address corruption charges raised by the United States.

The green LMP party’s co-leader András Schiffer insisted that privileged information from the office was leaked to the press from time to time. He also slammed the prosecutor for not acting against corruption.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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MTI photo: Kovács Attila