Pressman's Favorite Judge Releases Drug Lab Suspects

Judge Tamas Matusik released two of the three suspects involved in what has been described as the largest drug lab in Hungarian criminal history, located in Csepel, Budapest, according to Magyar Nemzet. Matusik’s name may sound familiar: he was one of the judges who sparked controversy by meeting at the embassy with then U.S. Ambassador David Pressman, known for his strong anti-Hungarian and anti-government stance.

Tamas Matusik (second from left) visiting U.S. Ambassador David Pressman (second from right) (Source: X)

Huge public outrage erupted after the court recently released three suspects in the Csepel drug lab case. The prosecution overseeing the police investigation requested detention, but the Buda Central District Court (BKKB) shocked the public by releasing the suspects. Sources reveal that in the case of two of the suspects, the decision was made by Tamas Matusik. He is the head of the BKKB's investigative judge group and was formerly the president of the National Judicial Council (OBT). It’s worth noting that a judge from his group also decided last March to release a man whose laptop police had found to contain hundreds of child pornography files.

Pressman's favorite judge

Matusik's name is known in Hungarian public life not only for these reasons.

The most significant public reaction was caused a couple of years ago when former U.S. Ambassador David Pressman met twice with Tamas Matusik along with Judge Csaba Vasvari while the former served as OBT president and the latter was a member of OBT. 

One of the meetings was even captured in a photo. Strongly anti-government David Pressman, who frequently crossed diplomatic boundaries, maintained a cordial relationship with Matusik.

Thank you to members of the National Judicial Council, Judges Csaba Vasvári & @TamasMatusik , for the informative discussion about the Council’s critical role in Hungary’s judicial system. pic.twitter.com/2FmWcdT0fh

— Chargé d'Affaires Robert Palladino (@USAmbHungary) October 27, 2022

Judges Outraged Over Embassy Meeting

Their first meeting, held at the U.S. Embassy, triggered widespread outrage both in judicial circles and in the public. In response, the OBT later stated it had been a routine meeting within the framework of practices "completely normal in democracies." However, the president of the Curia (Hungary’s supreme court), Andras Zs. Varga, noted that while embassies do maintain contact with institutions of the host country, these meetings are typically held at the premises of the institutions. He added that he was not aware of the OBT’s contact with the U.S. ambassador ever being on the agenda at either of the two OBT meetings at the time.

A point of reference

It is also noteworthy that under Matusik's leadership, the OBT served as a reference point in the EU’s rule-of-law reports and provided arguments for the withholding of EU funds. Two years ago, heated debates erupted when the European Commission uncritically adopted the OBT’s arbitrary opinions — which had been disputed with data multiple times — as facts, damaging the personal integrity of many judges.

The largest drug lab in Hungarian criminal history

Returning to the drug case: police recently dismantled what is considered the largest drug lab in Hungarian criminal history. In the Csepel Works industrial area, police seized nearly 100 kilograms of crystalline substances with a market value of 500 million forints  (1.2 million euros), along with 7.5 tons of materials that can easily be used to manufacture drugs. Had these hit the black market, they could have been worth up to 12 billion forints (29 million euros).

The Csepel drug bust was reported last Friday on social media by Laszlo Horvath, the government commissioner for combating drug trafficking.

The police launched the investigation after receiving a tip from the National Tax and Customs Administration (NAV), Aron Jeney, head of the National Bureau of Investigation (NNI), told a press conference on Saturday. The investigation led them to a 70-year-old man from Budapest who ordered the shipments. Through him, they reached another man, aged 72, from Pest County — both are suspected of planning to produce drugs. They were arrested and detained on April 1.

The group's chemist identified

The head of the NNI also reported that police identified a 48-year-old man from Budapest who is believed to have been the group’s chemist. He was also questioned as a suspect and taken into custody. Police conducted searches at their homes and managed to identify various storage sites and facilities containing different types and quantities of substances. This led them to a chemical plant in Csepel, which was operating legally, but suspected of being involved in illegal activities, Aron Jeney stated.

The substances found indicated illegal activity, the director added, noting that the site contained a large amount of chemicals, the identification of which is ongoing and may take several weeks.

During the investigation, assets were also seized: 5.5 million forints in cash, 60,000 euros, and bonds worth 30 million forints, along with documents on how to produce narcotics.

Why the court released drug lab suspects

These statements make it clear that the authorities conducted a thorough investigation, yet the court rejected the prosecution’s request for pre-trial detention. The reasoning was that the investigative materials did not clearly prove that drugs were actually being produced at the lab, or even that this was the intent. The court argued that the chemicals themselves were not illegal and the company appeared legal on paper.

Tamas Matusik (Source: Facebook page of the  U.S. Embassy in Budapest)

"There is no well-established judicial practice related to the offense of facilitating drug production as communicated to the suspects. In this case — as with any criminal offense — the court had to examine whether the charges meet the legal definition of the alleged crime. According to the law, the act must involve obtaining, producing, transporting, or transferring substances or equipment with the intent to grow or produce drugs. Therefore, it must be proven that the otherwise legal substances were acquired and stored with the purpose of producing narcotics," the court explained. Its ruling is not final, as the prosecution has appealed.

Laszlo Horvath also outraged

The news of the suspects’ release shocked Laszlo Horvath as well. "This is alarming proof that the legal framework must be clarified — this cannot be allowed to happen. The police, tax authorities, and NNI did their job, they caught the poison makers who were trying to flood the market with 7.5 tons of drugs. The chief prosecutor's office agreed with the detention request. But the Budapest-Capital Regional Court outrageously rejected it, letting all three suspects walk free," wrote the government commissioner for combating drug trafficking on his Facebook page.

Cover photo: Tamas Matusik (second from left) visiting U.S. Ambassador David Pressman (second from right) (Source: X)