Óbuda corruption: 2 billion forint in envelopes, hotel bathrooms and under sofas
Entrepreneur Z. Zsolt has given detailed testimony on how he paid bribes to Budapest politicians. According to the prosecution, over 2 billion forint changed hands between 2011 and 2024.
Envelopes tucked under pillows and cash hidden in bathrooms
According to details reported by Index, businessman Z. Zsolt – who has been providing incriminating testimony about Budapest politicians since 2024 – provided authorities with precise details of where and how he handed over the bribes. Documents obtained by Telex also reveal that his testimony is corroborated by statements from other suspects, including former Óbuda deputy mayor Gergely Czeglédy.
The structure of the corruption system was relatively straightforward: Z. Zsolt's companies, run through intermediaries, obtained revenue from municipal contracts, which was then distributed back to the politicians involved. One Fidesz representative requested money to finance events, in exchange for which the businessman expected more favourable contract terms from the municipality.
The locations where money was handed over varied. Z. Zsolt slipped an envelope under the pillow to one politician whilst sitting on a sofa in his own home; on other occasions, sums were handed over in a "club room" at the same location. Another recipient kept the cash he received in a safe built into his flat and kept a paper record of the amounts he received.
In an elegant Buda hotel – in which the businessman had an interest through two friends – handovers also took place regularly, including once during the closure period due to the pandemic. On one occasion, a politician received 30 million forint: Z. Zsolt hid a paper bag behind a chair cushion, which the recipient placed in his bag. From 2021 onwards, the sums no longer changed hands in a single instalment, but in several instalments – packages of 8–10–15 million forint at a time – sometimes partly in euros, at the politician's request.
From 2022 onwards, the method of handing over money to the same politician changed: Z. Zsolt hid the cash in the hotel bathroom behind the toilet paper, then handed the key to the politician in a handshake. The individual took the money and always left the key in the door. This technique was also used on the first payment to another politician, where an intermediary party colleague was also present.
Those detained so far in the case include current and former district mayors of the II district Gergely Őrsi and Zsolt Láng, former MSZP party director Zsolt Molnár, Péter Puskás, Óbuda Fidesz chairman, and two Momentum politicians. According to the prosecution, the amount paid in the bribery system operating between 2011 and 2024, which operated independently of the parties, exceeds 2 billion forint. Gergely Őrsi described the basis of the accusation as unjust; Momentum suspended the party membership of the individuals involved.
Based on the court's decision on Monday, four suspects in the case will remain in pre-trial detention for at least thirty days: former Momentum politicians Tünde Szkaliczki and Károly Matisz, Tamás Gy., owner of the Hungast group, and a fourth individual. Decisions regarding the remaining Fidesz and former socialist individuals involved are expected this week; all suspects have appealed against the first-instance decision.
The investigation began in early June with a high-profile operation: under the direction of the Central Investigation Prosecutor's Office, searches were carried out at multiple Budapest locations and at Pécs City Hall. According to the prosecution, a catering company stands at the centre of the corruption network, whose managers sought to secure municipal contracts in Budapest and Pécs through bribes. The investigation is proceeding on charges of trading in influence and other offences.
Source: Index