The High Court of Justice finally sentenced the former deputy head of the Agricultural and Rural Development Office (ARDA) to six years in prison, who had previously committed budget fraud in connection with EU subsidies, the High Court of Appeal informed MTI.
Early in the spring of 2015, the Budapest Public Prosecutor’s Office prosecuted the former ARDA vice president and 117 other colleagues for budget fraud and other crimes.
The Metropolitan Court was handed over in the fall of 2020 First-class referee In addition to the budget fraud committed in the criminal organization, the former head of the ARDA was convicted of accepting influence and bribery.
Taking advantage of the official position of the first accused, in 2012 and 2013, he formed a criminal organization for the unauthorized acquisition of sums from the EU budget related to land support in the region, according to the facts.
The farmers and economic organizations involved in the criminal organization were not eligible for support, nor did they have land use rights. The former head of the ARDA requested redistribution after allotted amounts.
The Metropolitan Court sentenced the former vice president to seven and a half years in prison and a fine of 6 million HUF. He was also banned from public affairs for eight years and ordered to confiscate property worth about HUF 21 million.
After the initial verdict was issued, the public prosecutor appealed for a further conviction and an aggravation of the sentence, while the accused and his attorney appealed the verdict of acquittal or mitigation.
On March 1, the Metropolitan Board of Governors reduced the prison sentence of a former ARDA director as his health deteriorated in his 60s to six years with a final second-degree sentence.
