Home » News » Prosecution rate remains outstanding in cases involving judicial recommendations by OLAF

Accord­ing to the Euro­pe­an Anti-Fraud Office’s (OLAF) 2024 annu­al report, the Hun­ga­ri­an pro­se­cu­ti­on rate for cri­mi­nal cases fol­lo­wing judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions issu­ed bet­ween 2020 and 2024 was 67%, which sig­ni­fi­cantly exce­eds the EU aver­age pro­se­cu­ti­on rate of 39%.

OLAF’s 2024 report pre­sents find­ings rela­ted to judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions made bet­ween 2020 and 2024. Accord­ing to the report, in Hun­gary, indict­ment was filed in two cases, while one case was ter­mi­na­ted. Investiga­tions are ongo­ing in 16 cases. The report high­lights that the Hun­ga­ri­an pro­se­cu­ti­on rate is 67%, com­pa­red to the EU aver­age of 39%.

Since the end of the peri­od cove­red by the report, from 1 Janu­ary 2025 onwards, the Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce filed an indict­ment in one addi­ti­o­nal case and ter­mi­na­ted anot­her, meaning that investiga­tions are cur­rently ongo­ing in 14 cases whe­re­as an OLAF judi­ci­al recom­men­da­ti­on was issu­ed.

Bet­ween 2020 and 2024, tak­ing into account judi­ci­al recom­men­da­tions rece­i­ved out­si­de the peri­od cove­red by the report, the Hun­ga­ri­an Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce filed an indict­ment in a total of 12 cases invol­ving an OLAF judi­ci­al recom­men­da­ti­on.

Alt­ho­ugh no such legal obli­ga­ti­on exists, the Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary – in accor­dance with the instruc­ti­on of the Pro­se­cu­tor Gene­ral – has issu­ed an order on the ope­ning of a cri­mi­nal pro­ce­du­re in each case based on OLAF recom­men­da­tions, and where an investiga­ti­on was alre­ady ongo­ing, OLAF's recom­men­da­tions were atta­ched to the investiga­ti­on files and were asses­sed as a part the­reof.

The Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce of Hun­gary and OLAF coope­ra­te clos­ely by hol­ding regu­lar mee­tings at both mana­ge­ri­al and expert levels. In Feb­ru­ary 2022, the excel­lent co-operation bet­ween OLAF and the Hun­ga­ri­an Pro­se­cu­ti­on Ser­vi­ce was recor­ded in the form of a wor­king agree­ment. Addi­ti­o­nally, in Novem­ber last year, the Pro­se­cu­tor Gene­ral rece­i­ved the Director-General of the Euro­pe­an Anti-Fraud Offi­ce at his offi­ce — furt­her deta­ils can be found here:

https://ugyeszseg.hu/en/prosecutor-general-of-hungary-meets-olaf-director-general/