"Paying Back into the System” — How Mayor Laszlo Kiss Allegedly Pocketed Millions

A full-fledged corruption network was allegedly being run by both Laszlo Kiss, the sitting Democratic Coalition (DK) mayor of Budapest’s 3rd District (Obuda), and his former Deputy Mayor Gergo Czegledy of the Socialist Party (MSZP), who has since resigned. According to testimonies obtained by Magyar Nemzet from two suspects in the bribery case, one of them — a longtime associate of Kiss — claimed he personally delivered millions of forints in cash to the politicians. The documents also suggest that Kiss became alarmed by the recordings released in the spring of 2022 by the masked whistleblower Anonymous. Following the leak, the district mayor and the associate who allegedly paid him bribes reportedly ceased all contact.

The investigation into the Obuda corruption scandal — involving DK District Mayor Laszlo Kiss and his former Socialist (MSZP) deputy Gergo Czegledy continues. The Central Chief Prosecutor’s Office for Investigating Serious Crimes has been tight-lipped about the proceedings, also involving  charges of bribery and influence peddling, despite numerous media inquiries. 

Public interest in the case remains high, 

as it is exceptionally rare for a sitting mayor to face bribery allegations in Hungary.

Kiss Was Seen as “The Boss”

Multiple individuals have reportedly made incriminating statements against Kiss. One of them, a key witness whose testimony launched the investigation, 

provided evidence back in December 2021 implicating both himself and several others — including Mayor Laszlo Kiss.

According to his account, those involved referred to Kiss simply as “the boss”, emphasizing that “the money went to the mayor.”

The “Good Friend” Also Broke His Silence

Later, attorney Laszlo F., an old friend of the mayor and also a suspect, decided to cooperate with investigators. Another figure deeply involved in the affair, Robert D., also began to speak.

Magyar Nemzet has reviewed the statements of both Robert D. and Laszlo F. 

 which name not only Kiss and Czegledy but also mention Kiss’s chief of staff, Daniel Krebesz, among others.

Bribe Money Counted Out in a Paper Bag

The public first learned of the Obuda corruption case in the spring of 2022, when Anonymous — a masked whistleblower known for releasing explosive exposés — published footage showing 

men in the Obuda case counting bribe money pulled from a paper bag inside a car.

The masked whistleblower mentioned several key left-wing figures, including Gabor P., described as an important background player in the opposition, and attorney Laszlo F., who for a time was in business with the Mayor Lazslo Kiss’s wife.

Over 100 Million Forints Allegedly Pocketed by Obuda’s Leadership

The first arrests — including those of Robert D. and Laszlo F. — took place in March 2023. Shortly thereafter, both Deputy Mayor Czegledy (who has since resigned) and Mayor Kiss became suspects.

Both were held in pretrial detention for several months. 

Kiss has since returned to office and continues to lead the district. In total, 18 individuals are currently implicated in the case.

Prosecutors allege that after being elected mayor in October 2019, Kiss reached an agreement with Laszlo F. ensuring that companies linked to him would receive regular municipal contracts — provided that a share of the payments was paid back to Kiss, and others formally and informally inside the local government.

To conceal the origins of the bribe money, prosecutors say the district entered into fake or inflated contracts with shell companies, 

while the actual work was performed by others for far less. In some cases, municipal employees themselves did the work described in the phony contracts. Investigators believe Kiss may have pocketed 18 million forints, while Czegledy allegedly took in as much as 100 million. Both men deny wrongdoing, and Kiss calls the investigation politically motivated.

Kiss Allegedly Began the Scheme Upon Taking Office

According to the testimony of Robert D., he himself participated in the bribery system under which money was funneled back to Kiss and his deputy.

Robert D. told prosecutors that after taking power, Kiss sought out businesses — such as graphic design and printing-related firms — whose owners were willing to “participate in the redistribution,” i.e. corruption.

He also named Green Bush Kft., a landscaping company that billed the municipality extensively during Kiss’s early term. Kiss later ordered the company to stop invoicing, Robert D. claimed.

Corruption Contacts

Robert D. also testified that "H. M., Kiss’s former chief of staff, likely knew about the corruption arrangement between Laszlo F.,Laszlo Kiss and I, though perhaps not all its details." This further supports the suspicion that Mayor Kiss received bribe payments — as did Deputy Mayor Czegledy, who, according to Robert D., “always received the money from Laszlo F.”

“We Had to Pay Back into the System”

Another company mentioned in the testimony is Blue Press, a municipal advertising contractor. Robert D. stated that Blue Press received local government projects and subcontracted work to firms linked to himself and Laszlo F. These monies, he said, were passed on to Czegledy and Kiss:

“The bribe money reached Gergo Czegledy and Laszlo Kiss through invoices from one of our companies — either Green Bush Team Kft. or RF Produktion Hungary Kft. — to Blue Press.”

In his own testimony, attorney Laszlo F. confirmed what he described as a “corruption agreement” between himself and Kiss, explaining:

“From the various municipal contracts, we always had to pay back into the system — by which I mean Laszlo Kiss and Gergo Czegledy,” Laszlo F. stressed.

Kiss Likely Panicked After Anonymous' Leaks

Laszlo F. further testified that he personally handed 30 million forints in bribe money to Czegledy in two separate deliveries: “I brought him cash twice — 15 million forints each time. Once in the parking lot behind the medical center, once outside the office on Perc Street, both times in my car. Each time, with his permission, I took one million forints for myself.” He added that after Anonymous released the compromising footage in March 2022, he broke off contact with Kiss. From that point on, he said, bribe payments were delivered only to Czegledy and Kiss’s campaign chief, Daniel Krebesz.