Updated: Hungary’s Public Prosecutor Asks EP to Lift Magyar's Immunity

  • 30 Sep 2024 6:44 AM
Updated: Hungary’s Public Prosecutor Asks EP to Lift Magyar's Immunity
Public Prosecutor Peter Polt has turned to the President of the European Parliament, requesting lifting the immunity of MEP Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party, based on evidence that has surfaced against him in an investigation on suspicion of theft, the Public Prosecutor's Office said in a statement.

According to the details uncovered, Magyar accosted the alleged victim of the crime on June 21, when he noticed the victim was filming him with his mobile phone at a club.

Magyar took the phone, refused to hand it back and denied having it, then dropped it in the Danube before multiple witnesses, including the phone's owner, the prosecutor's office said.

The phone was later recovered by the police and given back to the owner in good working condition, the office said.
 

According to the statement, Magyar's conduct had been in line with the legal definition of theft.
 

Further clarification of the case and criminal proceedings would only be possible once the EP has lifted Magyar's immunity, the statement said.

Magyar will not take up seat in Budapest Assembly

Magyar told public broadcaster Kossuth Radio that he could not fulfil the mandate next to his other positions, as he is already working as an MEP, party leader and the organiser of the party's "Tisza islands" movements.

In an interview with news channel M1, Magyar said he had invited every top candidate in the local elections for talks because "I feel the responsibility of the fact that Budapest citizens have elected ten party members into the assembly". Apart from former Fidesz mayoral candidate Alexandra Szentkiralyi, "who rejected the talks with a ridiculous, puerile excuse," Magyar said he had talked to all of them.

Regarding his talks with Gergely Karacsony, Magyar said he had warned the Budapest mayor of "a cozying up, a mating dance" with the government, insisting that "there is a coming closer, despite all propaganda to the contrary" between Budapest and the ruling parties. "Karacsony sometimes calls for Olympic Games [to be held in Budapest] louder than the prime minister and they were openly praising each other during the flood," Magyar said.

Asked about statements that Tisza party members would stay away from nominating a deputy mayor and from sitting on the board of city-owned companies, Magyar said the party wanted to keep out of the "the corruption in the capital, conducted so far between the old left and Fidesz."

Budapest's current internal rules bestow all powers on the mayor, Magyar said, adding that it was not just Tisza that wanted to change this. He said they wanted councillors to also be able to submit amendment proposals and nominate or comment on the appointment of the heads of city-owned companies.

"People have had enough of the twenty-year-old back door deals between Orban and [Democratic Coalition leader Ferenc] Gyurcsany," Magyar said.

Magyar said people also wanted to know "why the capital is on the brink of bankruptcy, why the government is stealing or taking away 75 billion forints from it, and why the state budget has collapsed".
 

"How is it possible that when Viktor Orban took over the government in 2010, Hungary's state debt was 19,000 billion forints, and that has grown to 55,000 billion forints? Meanwhile, Hungary received 40,000 billion forints from the EU, but even so, public services are falling apart and our hospitals are mouldy..." Magyar said.

Asked whether he would attend a debate with a government official on October 3, Magy said he had "an axe to grind" with the prime minister, not a government official. He said he wanted to ask him "how he managed to turn Hungary into the poorest and officially most corrupt country in Europe in 14 years".

Magyar willing to waive immunity 'if Hungary joins the European Public Prosecutor's Office

 

Leader of the opposition Tisza Party Peter Magyar has said he would be willing to waive his immunity if Hungary were to sign up to join the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

In a post on Facebook on Sunday, Magyar addressed the prime minister, insisting that "half of the state apparatus" was filing legal action against him every day, "while you are systematically tearing our country apart". He also suggested that the PM and the public prosecutor were working in cahoots with one another.

He vowed that if government were to vote for Hungary to join the European Prosecutor's Office, he would waive his right to immunity.

"Do we have a deal, prime minister? Let's see if you or I end up in the cold ... the sun never shines through a prison window..."

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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