Suspicion of group hooliganism in attack on Fradi-critical blogger
The 10th District police are investigating suspicion of group hooliganism in connection with an attack following the Ferencváros–Dabas handball match. Four masked men assaulted an FTC-critical blogger-editor at the Elek Gyula Arena.
Masked attackers assaulted a Fradi-critical blog editor at the Elek Gyula Arena
The 10th District Police Headquarters ordered an investigation on suspicion of group hooliganism against unknown perpetrators, the Budapest Police Headquarters (BRFK) Communications Department said in response to a question from hang.hu. The incident occurred on 4 September after the Ferencváros–Dabas men's handball match at the Elek Gyula Arena.
The complaint was filed by Zoltán Lajos Németh, editor of the Ferencváros C-közép supporter website. According to his account, four masked men waited for him in the corridor beneath the stands after the match ended: they sprayed pepper spray in his face and then attacked him. He claimed that a stadium security guard was present but did not intervene – moreover, he was eventually thrown out of the building after calling the police from the stadium toilet.
Zoltán Lajos Németh stated that a friend of his also witnessed the events, and he is confident in the stadium's security camera recordings, which he believes will prove that no one came to his aid before the attackers fled.
Ferencváros C-közép is a platform that regularly publishes critical content towards FTC leadership.
The local authority published the blogger's home address
Zoltán Lajos Németh raised another grievance: according to him, the Ferencváros local authority published his residential address online in a tender document. The Ferencváros local authority's press office explained the appearance of the data by saying that the applicant had previously given written consent for their publication – the district media company's tender was discussed at a public assembly session. When the local authority learned of threats and physical assault against the blogger, the document containing personal data was made inaccessible. In its response to hang.hu, the local authority emphasised that it condemns all violence and that "such attacks and hate campaigns are not worthy of Fradi or any sport".
Series of threats against journalists
In addition to the C-közép editor, other journalists reporting in recent days on FTC's use of sports sponsorships and the Fradiváros affair have also received threats. Index's editor-in-chief, András Murányi, and 24.hu journalist János Kele were likewise threatened.
On Sunday at the NB I league match against Újpest at the Groupama Arena, supporters displayed a banner with the following text: "Love Fradi and you will be happy, if you harm Fradi you will be dead, love Fradi and cheer with us, if you harm Fradi we will beat you to death!" A complaint was filed with the BRFK over the banner. At the same match, Zoltán Lajos Németh received a message from the supporter section: "There is no such thing as C-közép, just one psychopath idiot" – was written on a drape.
Hang.hu contacted the Hungarian Football Association to ask whether it planned to impose sanctions over the threats, but no reply had been received by the time of publication. FTC told Telex: "FTC fundamentally condemns all threats."
Magyar Telekom distances itself from the banners
The club's main sponsor, Magyar Telekom, responded to events on Monday evening via a Facebook post. The company distanced itself "from every banner and statement used by certain groups of supporters at the Groupama Arena", and indicated that they "stand in sharp contrast to the values that the Magyar Telekom brand upholds". Telekom announced that it had requested FTC and SPORTFIVE Hungary Kft., which operates the Groupama Arena, to inform it what measures they planned to prevent aggressive displays in future.
The Fradiváros affair: nearly 25 billion forints in state funding in the background
The tension behind the threats is closely linked to the Fradiváros affair. The Ministry of Interior filed a complaint at the end of August with the Criminal Directorate of the National Tax and Customs Administration regarding the use of nearly 25 billion forints in state funding provided to FTC. The suspicion is that budget fraud, embezzlement, abuse of office, aiding and abetting, negligent handling and use of forged private documents may be involved.
In 2016 and 2017, the Hungarian state provided a total of 24.947 billion forints in budget support to FTC based on two government resolutions for the development of the Népligeti sports complex, for the realisation of Fradiváros phases I and II. The support documents contained exclusively investment purposes – implementation, demolition, design and construction. However, despite the funding, Fradiváros was not built.
According to the Ministry of Interior's August statement, based on the final accounts submitted by FTC but not yet accepted by the ministry, of the 10 billion forints in the first phase, more than 8.5 billion forints were accounted for as material and operational expenses, and only approximately 1.44 billion forints as investment. From the second phase's 14.9 billion forints budget, the club reported more than 3.1 billion forints as operational expenses, while it transferred 11.2 billion forints to FTC Labdarúgó Zrt., a business which used the funds to acquire playing rights for professional footballers.
Source: Google News HU — Crime (hu)