Arrest sought against former Fonyód mayor
The Somogy prosecution office has requested pre-trial detention for the former Fidesz town leader, who is accused of invoicing fraud and misuse of office at a municipal company.
Arrest sought against former Fonyód mayor
The Kaposvár District Prosecution Office has requested pre-trial detention for a former leader of a Somogy settlement. The man, who led Fonyód in Fidesz colours between 2019 and 2023, is currently suspected of economic misuse of office and money laundering. The prosecution office did not name him in its official statement, but the press identified him as József Hidvégi.
Police arrested and took him into custody last Wednesday. According to the investigators, the politician approved business agreements over a four-year period on behalf of a municipal limited company that related to garden and area maintenance. However, according to the authorities, these contracts existed only on paper – the actual work was carried out by the municipal company or other contractors in reality.
The false documents listed companies as service providers that had close connections to the former mayor. One such company was run by his son. With this arrangement, the suspicion is that he defrauded the municipal company of 102 million forints.
During the investigation, it also emerged that the suspect persuaded a relative to open a bank account. Money from the fictitious contracts was transferred to this account. After the payments, he ordered the woman to withdraw more than 40 million forints in cash and conceal it in the safe of the family's tobacconist's shop.
The court will decide on Friday, 26 June, whether to order detention. The investigation has been ongoing for one and a half years, with close cooperation between police and prosecution. The leader of the municipal company and another relative were previously taken into custody. The former mayor's son was also questioned but released.
Source: 444.hu
Source: 444