Hungarian court extends detention of former asset manager, places colleague under electronic monitoring

A Budapest court extended the pre-trial custody of former Magyar Nemzeti Vagyonkezelő chief Szivek Norbert by three months, arguing he remains a key figure in a probe into alleged overpricing of used buses purchased by the state-run Volán companies, which may have caused a loss of around ten billion for the state. At the same time, the court terminated Jellinek Dániel’s detention but imposed a restriction to his residence and fitted him with a tracking device, noting his more limited involvement in the corruption chain and his cooperation with investigators.

Both defendants had previously been held for a month after the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office requested continued detention to prevent flight and evidence tampering. Their lawyers offered bail for Szivek and sought to end the coercive measures for both. The court’s decision reflects differing assessments of each suspect’s risk and role in the case.