Chief prosecutor: Hungary ‘exemplary’ in protecting EU’s financial interests

Hungary’s criminal justice system has been “exemplary” in adopting the necessary European Union provisions concerning the protection of the bloc’s financial interests, Péter Polt, the chief public prosecutor, said on Tuesday at an event marking Prosecutors’ Day that was also attended by Eurojust President Ladislav Hamran.

The most successful form of European cooperation in protecting the EU’s financial interests has been the creation of a joint investigative team, whose efforts have helped bring charges in Hungary in cases concerning the abuse of EU funds, Polt said.

As regards the role of the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF, Polt said its authority extended only to issuing recommendations to the authorities of member states, and so it does not have the power to handle criminal proceedings.

Citing a report published recently by OLAF, Polt said the Hungarian prosecutor’s office had ordered investigations into all of the suspected fraud cases identified by the office.