Hungary investigation examines alleged bailiff corruption network

During a Budapest meeting of the parliamentary investigative committee, former independent bailiff Ferenc Kiss testified that a criminal organization involving bailiffs continued to operate even after the removal of György Schadl and Pál Völner.

Kiss alleged that over the past five to eight years, numerous criminal complaints were filed against individuals closely associated with the enforcement system, including Katalin Takács, the current head of the Hungarian Association of Court Bailiffs (MBVK), and Schadl, but no progress was made. He claimed that honest bailiffs were suspended on flimsy grounds to allow replacements—recommended by Schadl—to take over, with some earning up to 600 million HUF annually.

Furthermore, Kiss testified that the MBVK's IT system poses a national security risk. Despite receiving 3 billion HUF for a system upgrade, the new infrastructure was never implemented, allegedly allowing unauthorized access to sensitive data. Kiss also stated that a 2024 complaint filed against former Parliamentary State Secretary Pál Völner resulted in a police deployment to his home rather than a formal investigation.