The Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment to the Pest Central District Court against Ferenc Pál Biró, President of the Integrity Authority, on charges of breach of fiduciary duty and other criminal offences.
Following the completion of the initial investigative measures in the case, which was launched on the basis of a report, investigative prosecutors first questioned Ferenc Pál Biró and his wife as suspects in January 2025.
Subsequently, after conducting an extensive investigation involving witness interviews, data collection and repeated searches, the prosecution informed the president of additional suspicions concerning further criminal offences.
According to the indictment submitted to the court, the defendants committed the following offences:
The indictment alleges that after the Integrity Authority had provided the President with an official vehicle and two drivers, he nevertheless maintained the Authority-funded lease of a luxury SUV. The use of the vehicle was entirely transferred to his wife, who not only used it without entitlement but also refuelled it at the Authority’s expense, thereby causing approximately HUF 21 million in additional costs to the Authority.
The indictment notes that the President was indeed entitled to personal vehicle use and a driver. However, these entitlements were already fully satisfied through the leased official vehicle provided to him. The entitlement granted to the President did not extend to the unjustified use of multiple vehicles or to financing the vehicle use of a family member at the expense of the Authority, resulting in substantial financial loss.
By abusing his official position, the President sought to prevent the Authority’s two other board members—Vice Presidents appointed through a public selection process and formally appointed by the President of the Republic—from exercising their statutory rights. To this end, he unlawfully restricted certain powers vested in them while simultaneously exercising public authority powers on his own initiative and contrary to legal provisions.
Ferenc Pál Biró entered into three contracts with a Brussels-based consulting firm, the subject matter of which was incompatible with the statutory responsibilities of the Authority. The contracts were partly related to the establishment of a diplomatic representation in Brussels, which the President intended to create. The indictment states that only Hungary, as a sovereign state, is entitled to establish diplomatic missions abroad; the Integrity Authority possessed no such authority.
Under these contracts, the Integrity Authority paid more than HUF 100 million to the foreign company for lobbying and communication services that were unnecessary.
The indictment further alleges that the President concluded a fictitious premises-use agreement on behalf of the Authority concerning the consulting company’s Brussels address. According to the prosecution, the Authority never maintained an office at that location. Despite this, the defendant arranged for the premises to be registered in the official public register as an establishment of the Authority.
During his foreign business trips, the President was entitled to receive a per diem, including compensation for meal expenses. Although Ferenc Pál Biró received the per diem to which he was lawfully entitled, he also spent approximately HUF 1.5 million on personal expenses using a bank card provided by the Authority, thereby causing financial loss to the institution.
In addition, in 2024 the President employed a family friend despite being aware that the individual lacked the qualifications required for the position and that his employment was incompatible with the functions of the Integrity Authority. Within the framework of the so-called “Integrity Academy” envisioned by the President, the employee planned to deliver training on topics such as “Traditional and Modern Interpretations of Death and Their Relationship to Existential Corruption. Post-Mortem Existence and the Restoration of Integrity.”
The individual’s employment ultimately terminated by operation of law after mandatory screening revealed information relevant from a national security perspective. Through this employment, the defendant caused financial loss to the Authority exceeding HUF 11 million.
According to the indictment, the President caused financial damage exceeding HUF 140 million to the Integrity Authority through the offences charged.
In April 2026, the prosecution provided the defendants and their legal counsel with access to the case files and informed them that they could submit observations and motions during the one-month period preceding the filing of indictment. Extensive submissions and evidentiary motions were received between 19 and 22 May 2026 and were evaluated by the prosecution prior to the indictment.
Thereafter, the prosecution filed an indictment for abuse of office, forgery of official documents, and breach of fiduciary duty causing particularly substantial financial loss.
The Central Investigative Prosecutor’s Office has requested that the court impose a term of imprisonment and a financial penalty on the President. In relation to the vehicle-use scheme and the bank card expenditures, through which the defendant personally benefited, prosecutors have also sought the confiscation of assets amounting to HUF 23 million.
With regard to the defendant who was indicted as an accessory in connection with the vehicle-use offence, the prosecution has requested the imposition of a suspended custodial sentence and a financial penalty.