Peter Magyar may have overstepped his bounds when he unleashed his bodyguard on a Hír TV staff member. Journalist David Heiter had sought to interview Tisza Party's chairman after media outlets unfavorable to the politician - including Magyar Nemzet and Hír TV - were excluded from a Monday press briefing. But instead of responding to the journalist’s questions, Mr. Magyar instructed his bodyguard to remove the crew. Then the bodyguard forcefully escorted the journalist out of the building.
And in doing so, Mr. Magyar’s close associate may have committed a criminal offense, according to constitutional lawyer Zoltan Lomnici Jr.
The Tisza Party chief basically justified his actions by claiming that the event was private. However, Mr. Lomnici pointed out that in such cases, it is typically the responsibility of the venue - in this instance, the hotel - to manage the event and ensure security.
In this context, Mr. Magyar's personal bodyguard wasn't the one in charge of implementing such orders in the hotel. In short: he could not have handled any removal of individuals from the premises. In the most severe interpretation, the incident could qualify as the criminal offense of coercion, Mr. Lomnici explained, shedding light on the latest scandal involving the Tisza Party.
