György Stofa faces arrest warrant over disputed MNB foundation loan deal

György Stofa, a prominent figure in firms that handled the multi-billion-forint assets of Magyar Nemzeti Bank foundations, has been the subject of a criminal probe after prosecutors flagged a 2025 securities-loan contract as potentially unlawful. The agreement, signed between Optima Befektetési Zrt. and a private equity fund, is alleged to have been a vehicle for transferring control of the PADME Foundation’s wealth to a network linked to former central-bank governor Ádám Matolcsy.

Stofa’s past positions—including CEO of Optima and leadership roles at GTC and various energy and real-estate companies—gave him direct insight into the foundations’ investment decisions. Authorities have issued an arrest warrant in October 2026 and are pursuing an international warrant, though Stofa’s current location is undisclosed. The case also touches on Stofa’s broader business activities, such as involvement in historic property acquisitions and overseas real-estate projects, but no direct link to criminal conduct has been established for those deals.