Zsolt Láng arrested in two-billion forint municipal corruption case
The current and former mayor of Budapest's District II, along with a former parliamentary representative, have been remanded in custody for 30 days following accusations by the Central Prosecuting Authority.
Zsolt Láng arrested in two-billion forint municipal corruption case
The court has ordered the remand in custody of Zsolt Láng, the current and former mayor of Budapest's District II, in connection with a two-billion forint municipal corruption case. The Central Prosecuting Authority has accused a total of 12 additional people in the matter, including former socialist parliamentary representative Zsolt Molnár, Péter Puskás, and Gergely Őrsi. Under the court's decision, all of those affected have been remanded in custody for 30 days. The accused have filed appeals against the ruling.
The series of offences being investigated by the prosecution concerns abuse in the handling of municipal assets and procurement. The authorities have not released details of the investigation; however, based on the circle of suspects and the scale of the case, it appears to involve significant budgetary damage.
Zsolt Láng's name has appeared in the media before, though for entirely different reasons. The politician became known among fans of a youth radio series for a villa he built at 19 Apostol Street in the Rózsadomb area, the Időfutár series. In the fantasy series launched by Kossuth Radio in 2012, the main villain, a professor, lived on an actual, then-empty plot, which Láng later purchased and built a villa on. Fans began treating the property as a "pilgrimage site", which, according to the series' creator Ferenc Markovits, put the politician in an awkward position. According to the producer, as a result, the radio station abruptly halted reruns of the series without explanation and later dismissed him from Magyar Rádió Nonprofit Zrt. Speaking to Blikk, Markovits admitted that upon learning of Láng's arrest, he felt vindicated.
In the current corruption proceedings, the court determined there is a risk of witness intimidation and obstruction of evidence, and therefore considered the strictest coercive measure to be justified.
Source: Index.hu
Source: Index