The spokesman for the Budapest Prosecutor’s Office, Gergely Varga, has been suspended from his post after a tape recording revealed that he claimed to know which police officers were responsible for police brutality committed in Budapest in September 2006, and that those were not the same officers being charged with the crimes. After the tape was released, Justice Minister Albert Takács said: “Those who committed police brutality in fall 2006 must be disciplined, as these policemen are even a danger to their own colleagues.”
Based on the comments made by the now former Budapest Prosecutor’s Office spokesman, the minister wants the prosecutor’s office to investigate the case of the police officers currently being charged with the crimes and start proceedings to find the real perpetrators, writes vg.hu.
According to Magyar Nemzet, Budapest Head Prosecutor Sándor Ihász said that he had ordered an investigation to be launched into the case to determine if Varga had breached regulations applying to his position of prosecutor. If he had, the smallest punishment he might receive is a reprimand, while the strongest is discharging him of his official post.
Varga has been suspended from his post as spokesman but can continue to work as prosecutor. The deadline for the investigation to be resolved is 30 days, but this can be extended on request.
