Former Governor of Hungarian Central Bank detained on fraud charges involving public funds
György Matolcsy, former Economy Minister under Orbán, was detained in Hungary as part of an investigation into financial fraud involving more than one billion euros.
Matolcsy detained following investigation into irregularities at Hungarian Central Bank
György Matolcsy, former Governor of the Hungarian Central Bank and former Economy Minister under Viktor Orbán, was detained in the early hours of Wednesday, according to sol.iol.pt, as part of an investigation into alleged financial irregularities involving public funds.
Matolcsy's lawyer, Pál Bátki, confirmed to Hungarian news portal Telex that his client is suspected of economic fraud with significant financial losses and the use of forged private documents. Matolcsy presided over the Hungarian Central Bank between 2013 and 2025.
The suspicions date back to 2025, when the national audit body began investigating the misuse of public assets by entities linked to the Central Bank. At the centre of the investigation are investments made through foundations established during Matolcsy's presidency and the asset management company Optima Investment. The operations in question involved more than one billion euros of public funds, and the investigations also cover possible links to people close to the former governor, including his son, Ádám Matolcsy.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the detention in a social media post, in which he highlighted Matolcsy's close ties to his predecessor, Viktor Orbán. Magyar reproduced statements made by the former head of government about the detainee: "I have a very strong emotional relationship with György Matolcsy. I have much to thank him for and I learned a great deal from him. György Matolcsy is an economist who defined an era," Orbán said, according to the statement distributed by Magyar.
The investigation is part of a broader set of inquiries into alleged irregularities in the management of public funds during the Orbán governments, which held power between 2010 and 2026.
Matolcsy was taken to the offices of the Hungarian Public Prosecutor's Office for interrogation, a session that lasted several hours. The former governor chose not to make statements about the facts of which he is suspected. Following the hearing, the authorities requested his preventive detention, with a judicial decision expected for Friday.
The Public Prosecutor's Office also confirmed that coordinated proceedings were carried out at several locations as part of the investigation into the management of funds linked to the Central Bank.
Source: Google News PT — Crime (pt)