Hagyó was accused of running a criminal gang and causing huge damages to municipal public transport company BKV in the years before August 2008. He was acquitted of the main corruption charges but the court ruled that he had instigated embezzlement.

Bárándy said people who had participated in the “show trial” against Hagyó “were rewarded” by Fidesz, noting that the prosecutor in charge of the case became a consultant to Budapest Mayor István Tarlós. Bárándy said it was “no accident” that most accusations against former Socialist government officials were made during election campaigns, adding, at the same time, that the defendants usually ended up being acquitted.

He noted that former 11th district mayor Gyula Molnár, György Szilvássy, former minister in charge of the secret services and Béla Schwartz, the former mayor of Ajka, were all accused of corruption, but were later acquitted of charges. Fidesz said in response that the Socialists had openly taken sides with a criminal.

Despite the fact that Hagyó was found guilty by a court, the Socialists are still defending him. As recently as last year, the Socialists wanted György Hunvald to run for mayor of Budapest’s 7th district even though it was not long ago he was sentenced for fraud, the statement said.

The court has also found guilty Ferenc Juhász, former defence minister of the government of Ferenc Gyurcsány, for mismanagement. “The opposition is full of corruption cases and the Socialists insist on holding on to their criminals,” Fidesz said.

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MTI photo: Ujvári Sándor