Hungarian former PM suspected of abuse of authority

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany

BUDAPEST, (Reuters) – Hungary’s chief prosecutor  has asked parliament to lift the immunity of former Prime  Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on suspicion of abuse of authority  related to a casino investment, prosecutors said yesterday.

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany

Gyurcsany headed two Socialist governments between 2004 and  2009, when he stepped down amid a financial crisis.

“The prosecutors launched a procedure based on well-founded  suspicion of abuse of authority,” Miklos Horanyi, spokesman of  the Chief Prosecutor’s Office told Reuters.

He said proceedings could start when Gyurcsany’s immunity is  lifted by parliament, where the ruling centre-right Fidesz-KDNP  has a two-thirds majority.

“This is about the Sukoro real estate swap issue,” the  spokesman said, but declined to give further details.

The prosecutors said in a statement to national news agency  MTI that Gyurcsany would be heard as a suspect in the case.

Prosecutors have been conducting an investigation since 2009  into land swap deals linked to a planned casino investment in  Sukoro, 40 kms (25 miles) west of Budapest.

Gyurcsany said yesterday on his Facebook page that he would  relinquish his parliamentary immunity.

“The brief official letter (from the prosecutors) says that  I am suspected of abuse of authority,” Gyurcsany said.

“If I have to fight for myself, my policies, or with my  political opponents, let it be. I am ready for it,” he said.

Gyurcsany told Reuters the allegation was false and  politically motivated.

“This government founded on autocracy, after the media law  scandal and the constitution scandal, now believes it will take  revenge on its political opponent in court, then I will become  their political accuser in the court,” he said.

The green-liberal party LMP in 2009 filed a report with the  prosecutors against Gyurcsany, saying he violated legal  regulations referring to publicity and the involvement of  citizens when his government was preparing legislation to define  a private casino project a special priority investment.

According to local media reports, a group of U.S., Israeli,  German and Hungarian investors wanted to invest 300-400 billion  forints ($1.68-$2.25 billion) in a casino city, in a project  which later fell through.

The ruling Fidesz party has considered Gyurcsany a pariah of  Hungarian politics since the former premier’s leaked admission  in 2006 that his Socialists had lied about the economy to win a  second successive term in power that year. The leaked speech  triggered riots in 2006.

Fidesz has also branded Gyurcsany a “limousine Socialist”  for his wealth amassed in the early years of privatisation.