Corruption, Corruption, Everywhere…
Ah, the sweet taste of corruption. It’s like a rich, decadent cake that’s just too tempting to resist. And in this case, it seems like György Schadl and his associates have been indulging in a slice (or three) of this tasty treat. But don’t worry, folks, they’re not alone. They’ve got a whole crew of friends who are more than happy to join in on the fun.
So, let’s get down to business. According to the indictment (and I love a good indictment, don’t you?), Schadl and his pals have been playing a game of "influence" and "bribery" with a certain court bailiff. It’s like a big game of "who can get the most lucrative executive appointments," and Schadl’s team is playing to win.
Here’s how it goes down: two independent court bailiffs (because, of course, they’re independent) approach a would-be bailiff and say, "Hey, we can make sure you get the job, but you’ve got to give us a cut of your future earnings." And because this person is clearly a sucker for a good deal, they agree to give these lovely gentlemen 42.5% of their income for three whole years. I mean, who wouldn’t want to give away almost half of their hard-earned cash?
But wait, it gets better. The applicant gets the job, and Schadl finds out about the whole thing. And instead of reporting it to the authorities (because, you know, that’s what honest people do), he just tells the two deputies to scram and leaves the applicant alone. Because, clearly, this is all just a big misunderstanding.
The Plot Thickens…
Now, this is where things get really interesting. You see, Schadl is also involved in another little case (known as the Schadl-Völner case, because who doesn’t love a good hyphenated name?) where he’s accused of bribing a former State Secretary of Justice, Pál Völner. It seems that Schadl was paying Völner a tidy sum of HUF 2-5 million (that’s about €6,000-15,000 for those who don’t speak Hungarian) on a regular basis. And in return, Völner would use his influence to help Schadl get his buddies appointed to lucrative executive positions.
I mean, it’s not like this is a surprise or anything. Corruption is like the national pastime in some countries. But still, it’s always fun to watch these guys get caught with their hands in the cookie jar. And Schadl’s got a whole team of associates who are allegedly involved in this mess, too.
The Grand Total…
So, let’s do the math, shall we? According to the indictment, Schadl’s little scheme netted him a whopping HUF 924,852,000 (about €2.8 million) in illegal income. That’s a lot of cookies, folks. And I’m sure he’s going to be thrilled to know that he’s going to have to give all that money back. Oh wait, I forgot – he’s probably going to prison instead.
In any case, it’s always fun to watch these corrupt officials get their comeuppance. And I’m sure this case will be a real nail-biter as it makes its way through the courts. So grab some popcorn, folks, and let’s enjoy the show.
The Verdict…
Well, it’s not like we have a verdict yet, but I’m sure it’ll be a doozy when it comes. In the meantime, let’s just sit back and enjoy the spectacle of it all. Corruption, bribery, and influence peddling – it’s like a never-ending circus, and we’ve got front-row seats.
Stay tuned, folks. This one’s going to be a wild ride.
The Central Investigative General Prosecutor’s Office filed an indictment against György Schadl and three of his associates at the Capital District Court: failure to report the crime of corruption and dealing with influence.
According to the indictment, in 2018, two independent court bailiffs contacted a person applying to be a bailiff. The deputies told the applicant that they could influence the outcome of the application through their network of contacts. They then offered to secure the applicant’s appointment in exchange for a share of the income of the applicant’s future executive office, and to employ them in the office.
The applicant took advantage of the offer and then agreed to give 42.5 to 42.5 percent to the deputies for three years. The applicant was appointed as an independent bailiff in the second half of 2019, and according to the indictment, the two deputies did not have to use influence for this.
The applicant then told György Schadl what happened, and Schadl told the two deputies. The applicant thus did not have to pay or employ them in his own office. According to the indictment, Schadl and the vice president of the MBVK should have filed a report, but this did not happen. In the indictment, the General Prosecutor’s Office also proposed that the court combine this case with the trial of corruption and other crimes against Schadl and 21 of his associates.
The indictment of the latter case, which became famous as the Schadl–Völner case, says that Schadl established a corrupt relationship with former State Secretary of Justice Pál Völner, who regularly received HUF 2-5 million from him – a total of at least HUF 83 million. In return, the Secretary of State agreed to use the influence of his position to handle specific matters at Schadl’s request, such as lucrative executive appointments.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Schadl essentially gave Völner the money as a “salary” so that he would be constantly available to deal with various cases. And the president of the executive faculty financed this with the money he received from those he helped to the executive position. Thus, according to the indictment, he obtained a total of HUF 924,852,000 in illegal income.
