Corruption investigations of municipal leaders

Municipal leaders in Hungary and Romania are facing various corruption and bribery investigations.

In Hungary, Gergely Őrsi, the mayor of Budapest’s II. District, has denied allegations that he accepted approximately 290 million HUF in bribes between 2021 and 2023 regarding public procurement and park maintenance. Őrsi has contested the prosecution’s case, describing certain claims—such as cash being hidden behind toilet paper rolls—as “surreal.” He further denied owning luxury assets mentioned by investigators and noted that the freezing of his accounts has caused financial hardship.

In a separate Hungarian case, László Kiss, the mayor of Óbuda, has raised concerns regarding political interference and evidence manipulation. Following nine months of detention, Kiss has questioned whether the investigation into alleged bribes involving municipal contracts was politically motivated to target opposition figures.

In Romania, István Kócza, the suspended mayor of Érbogyoszló, is seeking a plea bargain to avoid imprisonment after his arrest in May for accepting bribes. While Kócza does not deny the charges, he claims he was “set up.”