Church leader, lawmaker, former lawmakers, MEP charged with assaulting an official
The investigative branch of the Budapest Prosecutor’s Office has charged methodist minister Gábor Iványi, lawmaker Zita Gurmai, former MEP Anna Donáth, former lawmakers Bernadett Szél and Károly Herényi, among others, with assaulting a person acting in an official capacity, the office said in a statement on Monday.
Assault against official
The Hungarian tax authority NAV searched the Dankó street premises of a charitable organisation headed by Iványi on 21 Feb 2022, and seized assets in connection with an investigation on suspicion of defrauding the state of large sums, the statement said. Although Iványi had been warned that only the head of the organisation and its legal representative had the right to be present, he had tried to bring the politicians and the crowd assembled into the building, the statement said.
Journalists and some of the crowd entered the building, and NAV officers formed a line to secure the premises, the statement said.
“According to the charges, the crowd complied with Iványi’s call to push him forward to break the line with his body,” the statement said. “This violent behaviour obstructed the lawful procedure of the officers but did not hinder the search.”
Iványi lead the group
The original investigation resulted in an arrest warrant against one of the financial directors of the organisation on charges of fraud, the statement said.
Seven charges were brought in the recent procedure, and Iványi has been charged with leading a group aiming to commit assault on persons acting in official capacity, the statement said.
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