Millions hidden behind toilet paper and envelopes slipped under pillows – Z. Zsolt's testimony on bribes
On a windowsill of a men's toilet in a Buda hotel, millions changed hands behind toilet paper rolls destined for corrupt politicians. Documents obtained by Telex reveal detailed testimony from Z. Zsolt, a major businessman, about the bribes.
Toilet key in a handshake, envelope under pillow – how Z. Zsolt paid off politicians
According to investigative documents obtained by Telex, millions were exchanged in the men's toilet of one of Buda's most exclusive hotels – money used to bribe corrupt city politicians. The authorities sent the documents to the defence counsel of the suspects, which reveal that Z. Zsolt, a major businessman and key figure in an extensive corruption network, gave a detailed account during his interrogation of how and where he handed over the bribes.
The system's operation: contracts and redistribution
Z. Zsolt was the subject of a National Tax and Customs Administration investigation into budget fraud a few years ago. As revealed in a previous Telex article, the businessman gave incriminating testimony in 2024 against recently detained city politicians. According to the obtained documents, the content of his testimony is corroborated by statements made by others in other cases – including self-incriminating statements by Gergely Czeglédy, former deputy mayor of Óbuda and MSZP member.
The system's mechanism was simple: companies operated under Z. Zsolt's direction, typically through proxies, concluded framework contracts with several local councils, and the major businessman then redistributed revenues to the politicians involved. One Fidesz politician requested money with the justification that he wanted to finance programmes and events for his political activities. Z. Zsolt paid, but made it clear: in return, the terms of the framework contract would have to be modified in his favour. In practice, the politician would indicate an event, state the amount – Z. Zsolt would pay.
Under pillow, in front of safe, beside fireplace
Z. Zsolt handed over the bribes at a variety of locations and in various ways. He went to one politician's home: whilst sitting in the lounge on the sofa talking, the businessman slipped the envelope under the pillow. He also paid the same politician in a "club room" set up on the lowest level of the house. "In this room there was a fireplace, a refrigerator, a sofa, wines and a Mihály Schéner painting – Tihany – I obtained it for him at a very good price," the document quotes Z. Zsolt's interrogation testimony.
With the politician with whom he maintained the closest relationship, he most frequently conducted the handover at the politician's flat. He provided a detailed description of both the politician's home and where the money was kept: "In his flat, upon entering, down the corridor to the left there was a safe built into the wall; he placed the cash I had handed over to him inside it in my presence, and in the safe he kept a piece of paper on which he continuously recorded the amounts of money that I gave him."
The Buda hotel: restaurant table, then toilet cubicle
A recurring location for handing over bribes was an elegant Buda hotel which, according to Z. Zsolt, belonged to the interests of two of his friends. At one of the first meetings in the restaurant, he handed over 30 million forints: "On this first occasion, I passed the money to him by placing it in an A4-sized brown paper bag on one of the chairs at the table behind a pillow, from where he took it and packed it into his shoulder bag." He subsequently made regular payments to the politician involved each year; from 2021 onwards, no longer in one sum, but in 4–5 instalments, handing over 8–10–15 million forints on each occasion. It sometimes happened that he gave roughly a third of the cash in euros, as the politician requested.
There was one meeting during the coronavirus pandemic when the restaurant was closed – the venue was nevertheless used, since the hotel belonged to Z. Zsolt's friends.
From summer 2022, for "security reasons", he applied a new method with the same politician. As he explained in his testimony: "Leaving the restaurant towards the hotel entrance, on the right along the corridor there was a men's and women's toilet, entering which the door on the right led to the men's toilet, and upon entering that, there were two separate, lockable toilet cubicles, and I always placed the current amount of cash in the right-hand cubicle, on the windowsill behind the toilet – sometimes in a bag, sometimes just by itself – and surrounded it with toilet paper rolls so that if the staff happened to enter there, it would not be immediately noticeable."
Key in the handshake
The handover was conducted with choreographed precision. Z. Zsolt locked the toilet cubicle door and kept the key, and when the politician arrived at the hotel, he handed it over at the moment of the welcoming handshake. The politician collected the money and left the key in the door. "You just had to think of the staff," the businessman explained, alluding to the fact that the method served as protection against outside observers.
Z. Zsolt employed this procedure even when he first paid off one of the politicians. At the first meeting, a party colleague of the politician in question was also present as an intermediary. According to Z. Zsolt's recollection: "We spoke briefly, but only about the general political situation, my request or the money practically did not come up at all, rather after a brief conversation I simply handed over the key."
The documents presented by Telex are currently part of the investigative stage; these allegations have not yet been ruled upon in court.
Source: Telex