Hungarian Integrity Authority Chairman Faces Corruption Probe
Police in Hungary have raided the offices of the Integrity Authority, a state body that oversees the use of EU funds.
The chief prosecutor has announced that its chairman, Ferenc Biro, is suspected of corruption and abuse of authority.
Police also raided Biro’s home, and took away documents.
He has admitted to “lending his official car to his wife to go shopping” but rejects the allegations and says he is being targeted for political reasons, “from the top”.
The operations of the Integrity Authority have always been transparent and followed “the strictest legal and ethical norms”, Bíró told a press conference after being interrogated earlier this week by Prosecutorial investigators (KNYF) under suspicion of embezzlement and abuse of office. He said he was proud that the authority served “the good of the country on a strictly independent and professional basis”. Bíró said the authority was open to cooperating with prosecutors, adding, at the same time, that he believed the extent and drawn-out nature of the investigation against him was unnecessary. “The timing is also interesting,” he said, noting that the authority had launched a probe of the activities of the National Communications office last week. He said he believed the true aim of the investigation was to make the authority’s investigative and monitoring activities accessible to “a much broader circle”.
The operations of the Hungarian Integrity Authority have always been transparent and followed “the strictest legal and ethical norms”, Bíró told a press conference after being interrogated earlier this week by Prosecutorial investigators (KNYF) under suspicion of embezzlement and abuse of office. He said he was proud that the authority served “the good of the country on a strictly independent and professional basis”. Bíró said the authority was open to cooperating with prosecutors, adding, at the same time, that he believed the extent and drawn-out nature of the investigation against him was unnecessary. “The timing is also interesting,” he said, noting that the authority had launched a probe of the activities of the National Communications office last week. He said he believed the true aim of the investigation was to make the authority’s investigative and monitoring activities accessible to “a much broader circle”.
