Gábor Tóth - Who managed the BKV investigation

Gábor Tóth

Who managed the BKV investigation

Gábor Tóth was born in Kalocsa, October 28, 1966. He graduated in Bólyai János Military Technical College then he completed the criminal academic expertise in the Police Officer College and ELTE Faculty of law. He started his career as a military prosecutor investigator in 1988; he served in five different districts in Budapest as a detective, deputy chief of investigation division, deputy chief of criminal division and as the chief of the police station between 1990 and 2003. He had been working as the criminal deputy chief of the Chief of Metropolitan Police of Budapest between 2003 and 2007. (The Metro Police Chief couple are expecting a baby – Vevet, 02.02.2008)



He became the Chief of the Metropolitan Police in 2007. (Gábor Tóth has been elected as Chief of Metro Police – Index, 06.06.2007) He was dismissed in July 2010. (Metro Police Chief dismissed – Origo, 01.07.2010) After his dismissal he became the member of the reserve staff but he asked for retirement in December. (Former Metro Police Chief asked for retirement – HVG.hu, 02.12.2010) After his retirement he continued his activity in Tarlós’ team as the manager of the public safety work-group of the Metropolitan Municipality. (Former Chief dismissed by Pintér continues in Tarlós’ team – Origo, 29.04.2011)

Gábor Tóth was the Chief of the Metropolitan Police from June 2007 till July 2010. (The Metro Police Chief couple expecting a baby – Vevet, 02.02.2008) He filled this position during the second administration of Ferenc Gyurcsány and the administration of Gordon Bajnai. Due to Fidesz’s standpoint the leaders appointed by Ferenc Gyurcsány were unable to make the police morally renew. (Gábor Tóth has been elected as Chief of Metro Police – Index, 06.06.2007) Even policemen did not expect so much from the new Chief. (Policemen expect no great future to the successor of Gergényi – Origo, 06.06.2006) Bajnai however was contented with Gábor Tóth’s job since he declared in the ORFK commander staff meeting of 2009, May that the police is in a very good condition. Gábor Juhász under-secretary of justice and policing was also attending the meeting. (Bajnai: Police does a great job – Index, 12.05.2009)

Juhász was the political under-secretary of internal affairs of Ferenc Gyurcsány between 2004 and 2006. He was invited to the first half-year work report of Gábor Tóth new Chief of the Metropolitan Police in September, 2008. (BRFK report on the first half-year job of Gábor Tóth Police Chief – police.hu, 17.09.2008) Tóth and Juhász supported together to keep Zoltán Bozsó BRFK Deputy-Chief in his position who was accused with disobedience. (Police leader charged with disobedience against order became Saturday’s general chief – hunhir.hu, 10.07.2009)

Juhász was then appointed to the position of Secretary of Civil Intelligence by Bajnai in September 2009. Bajnai justified his decision that secret services and the police need closer coordination. (Gábor Juhász for Secretary of Secret – Index, 10.09.2009) By taking his oath Juhász underlined that it is important to increase the cooperation among the services and other organizations. (Gábor Juhász new Secretary of Secrets took his oath – Origo, 21.09.2009)

The career of Endre Jónás former employee of the secret service and counter-intelligence gives a good example to the interlacement. He became the deputy general director of the Coordination Centre against Organized Crime in 2005, later acting director and then he was appointed to the position of general director until the Summer of 2010. (Homepage of the Office of Constitution Protection – Dr.univ. Endre Jónás)

György Pető also pulled closer the relation between the police and the secret service. Due to a report, BRFK (Budapest Police Dept.) managed by Gábor Tóth recruited informants under Bété and Huszár code names before the municipality elections. (Managers forming informant network – Index, 17.03.2011) Pető, former counter-intelligence agent also former socialist deputy mayor of Óbuda was the recruiter. He also helped the investigation in BKV-case after he started to work at BRFK. Thanks to his assistance, investigation was initiated in the first-half of 2010 regarding the abuses committed at metropolitan public utility supplier companies(http://index.hu/belfold/budapest/2011/03/17/informatorhalozat_fovarosi_c... Managers forming informant network?] – Index, 17.03.2011]

Pető’s – who is considered as an antipode to Hagyó – political life and his known conflict with Miklós Hagyó former Deputy Mayor lights the BKV investigations managed by Gábor Tóth in a different way. (Socialist politician helps the BKV-investigation – mandiner.hu, 11.03.2010) Népszabadság daily wrote during the Spring of 2010 that Hagyó’s failure could have been caused by his antipode. (Hagyó’s failure by his counter-intelligence antipode – Népszabadság online, 11.03.2010) The connections and role of Gábor Juhász show us that the investigation had homeland security threads as well. (Hagyó’s antipode hired by BRFK – Index, 11.03.2010)

As Police Chief Gábor Tóth declared in 2008 the police’s moral standard is higher than the civilians’. (Gábor Tóth: the moral is standard of police is higher than the civilians’ – hvg.hu, 22.07.2008) Despite of this, he was charged with misappropriation on 2nd April 2010. (Anonym report launched against Metropolitan Police Chief – Origo, 02.04.2010) The Central Investigation Prosecutor’s Office ordered an investigation in 6th April 2010 relating certain contracts concluded by BRFK. The report against Gábor Tóth objected a contract concluded by and between BRFK and a civil guard association. (Prosecutor’s Office ordered investigation in BRFK contracts – HVG.hu, 06.04.2010) Géza Fazekas, spokesman of the Central Investigation Prosecutor’s Office said that they did not started new proceedings since these are examined in the investigation ordered on the basis of the original report. Gyula Sipos, director of economic department of the police was unreachable for days thanks to different reasons. (The director of ORFK involved in suspicion doesn't have time – Origo, 06.05.2010)

Another report was launched against Tóth soon after 23rd April in connection with the advisory contracts of BRFK. It was stated that BRFK concluded an agreement on training with a company which had no required accreditation. Besides, allegedly a motorcycle given by the company to the police was used by Gábor Tóth for his private purposes. (New reports against Metro Police Chief – HVG.hu, 23.04.2010) One of Tóth’s favorite hobbies is riding a motorcycle for sure as he confirmed. (Intellectual police chief may come after Gergényi – Origo, 11.06.2007) Later the Attorney’s General Office ceased the proceedings against Gábor Tóth simultaneously with taking the BKV-case from BRFK. (Tarlós trusts the police chief dismissed by Pintér – HVG.hu, 29.04.2011)    

Gábor Tóth initiated a proceeding against BKV on 1st September 2009 regarding its advisory contracts. BRFK launched criminal proceeding despite of the fact that two internal inspections of 2008 declared that the contracts of the affected period are ok. The Supervisory Board accepted the inspection of the Internal Inspection Department with respect to the inspection which contains the whole advisory circle and there was no such conclusion which may lead to further act. (Gábor Székely’s brief on the inspection of BKV advisory contracts – official website of Miklós Hagyó) The ordinary General Meeting of October 2008 accepted the brief sent by Zsolt Tiba former Metropolitan Notary (Zsolt Tiba’s brief on the fulfillment of the decision of the Metropolitan General Meeting – official website of Miklós Hagyó); the brief contains attachments which were the inspection reports of each contracts concluded by and between BKV and AAM Zrt. This was also accepted by the General Meeting. (Gábor Székely’s brief on the AAM Zrt. contracts – official website of Miklós Hagyó)

Consequently, although there was no condemnatory internal inspection before 2008, Gábor Tóth informed the general manager of BKV, István Kocsis about the continuation of the criminal proceeding on 1st September 2009, a day after Hagyó resigned from BKV professional supervision (Miklós Hagyó resigns from the supervision of BKV – Népszabadság online, 31.08.2009). In his letter he asked – in order to help the investigation – for sending him the analyses on the advisory companies and the suspicious advisory contracts at BKV. (Gábor Tóth Police Chief’s letter to BKV, 01.09.2009 – official website of Miklós Hagyó)

The press snapped up another BKV-case on 3rd September. It was revealed that Bajnai’s advisor’s former company concluded a mandatory contract with BKV of HUF 315 Million for three years. (Newest BKV-case: 315 Million Forints contract to former company of Bajnai’s advisor – hirado.hu, 07.03.2009)

Not having waited for the reply of BKV, BRFK send another letter to the legal department of BKV with a detailed list on private persons and companies who and which could have been concerned by the suspicion of misappropriation. (BRFK’s request list to BKV – official website of Miklós Hagyó) However the company connected to Bajnai is not in the list. (Newest BKV-case: 315 Million Forints contract to former company of Bajnai’s advisor – hirado.hu, 07.03.2009)

The 168 Óra magazine already predicted the BKV-case’s script at the end of September 2009. They wrote down at that time that the inspection of BKV contracts would gain “juicy details” during the campaign. Even Zsolt Balogh acting general manager of BKV was designated with “nokia” indicator at that time. (Corner technique of a politician – 186 Óra online, 28.09.2009) In January 2010, 90 days prior to the elections the campaign was started. BPPD (Budapest Police Dept.) managed by Gábor Tóth initiated the pretrial detention of Eleonóra Szalainé Szilágyi HR director of BKV in 7th January. The information published on the website of the police said that more interrogations are expected in the future. (BKV former HR director in pre-trial detention – Népszabadság online, 07.01.2010)

On the 9th January the police took Éva Horváth former spokeswoman of Hagyó into a short-term arrest. She was taken by the detectives from her home in the morning and was released after her interrogation around 11:00 a.m. (Hagyó’s former spokeswoman suspected with misappropriation – Origo, 08.01.2010) Tibor Zelenák former head of communication department was also charged on 2nd January. (Another ex-BKV manager suspected – hvg.hu, 12.01.2010) (Another ex-BKV manager suspected with misappropriation – hvg.hu, 12.01.2010) During the day of 22nd Miklós Regőczi former and Tibor Bolla deputy general managers were interrogated as suspects. It was quite probable that the next suspect would be Zsolt Balogh former acting general manager. (Another two BKV manager became suspects – Magyar Nemzet online, 22.01.2010)

Police occupied again BKV’s headquarter in the VII district in the morning of 26th. Press duty of BRFK said that the police did some investigative action in Akácfa Street. (BKV headquarter occupied by police – Origo, 26.01.2010) During the perquisition the detectives collected all the advisory contracts signed by Balogh and Antal. Police took Attila Antal – appointed to the position of general manager of BKV in 2006 - into custody at that day with the suspicion of misappropriation. (Attila Antal in custody – Index, 26.01.2010) With reference to close police source ATV NEWS brought to public first in 30th January 2010 that both Antal and Balogh took incriminating testimony against Hagyó. (Incriminating testimony against Hagyó - atv.hu, 30.01.2010)

On 3rd February another three new suspects came to the picture in BKV-scandal. BRFK detectives interrogated György Tóthfalusi, SZDSZ Chairman of BKV board of directors; Ernő Mesterházy, senior advisor to Gábor Demszky and László M., manager of a communication company. Furthermore, the police interrogated again Miklós Regőczi, Tibor Zelenák and Éva Horváth suspected before. Mesterházy, Zelenák and Regőczi were taken into custody at that day. (BKV: Mesterházy, Zelenák and Regőczi in custody – Index, 03.02.2010) Hagyó was taken into custody in 14th May 2010 when his immunity ceased together with his press-man Ottó Lelovics and Éva Horváth. (Miklós Hagyó and two associates in custody – hvg.hu, 14.05.2010)

The police took Hagyó into pre-trial detention due to the fear of escape despite of the fact that Hagyó gave no reason for that behavior as it was declared in Strasbourg decision. Due to the decision of the European Court of Human Rights the Hungarian authorities infringed the right to freedom and security, the prohibition against inhuman treatment, the right to family life and the right to appeal. (Legal brief in Hagyó vs. Hungary case by Dr. András Kristóf Kádár attorney-at-law (case 52624/10, .pdf – official website of Miklós Hagyó, 23.04.2013)

Later, when the investigation reached politicians, Gábor Tóth Metropolitan Police Chief admitted the existence of the data which indicated the risk of escape in case of Hagyó and this was the basis of the pre-trial detention: “There was such information that Mr. Hagyó would travel to abroad before being interrogated” (Police Chief on BKV issues: anything could happen – Népszabadság online, 26.05.2010)

In spite of this, lawyer of Hagyó indicated to BRFK before the pre-trial detention that his client is at the authorities’ disposal at anytime and anywhere. (Letter to Col. Mihány Bezsenyi, dated 11th May 2010, delivered personally .pdf – official website of Miklós Hagyó) However Miklós Hagyó was taken to pre-trial detention on 17th May 2010 ordered by the Central District Court of Pest regarding the BKV-case. The most severe forced action was appealed by the lawyer of Hagyó but the Prosecutor’s Office rejected the appeal on the basis of the above mentioned data. (A case being pulled out of constitutional rights? – Éva Kádár .pdf – jogiforum.hu)

 Mária Szívós automatically confirmed three times the pre-trial detention against Hagyó. She also referred to that certain police report which contains a data on the intention to escape. (Winners of BKV-case: Mária Szívós Constitutional Judge – Hagyó dossier, 27.08.2012) Despite of Gábor Tóth’s declaration this certain data has not been disguised yet.