Karácsony: Evidence suggests City Hall sale allegation was ‘criminal smear campaign’

Evidence suggests that the “false” allegation that people close to the metropolitan administration were planning to sell the City Hall building was part of a “criminal smear campaign” aided and abetted by people connected with the government and ruling Fidesz party, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony said on Monday.

Karácsony noted that former Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai had posted an official police document on its decision to close down the investigation which, he insisted, indicated that the people responsible for the “smear campaign against him” had “committed a criminal act”.

“The Fidesz-serving media, government members and Fidesz representatives in Budapest entertained themselves and the public with obvious lies for months,”

Karácsony said on Facebook. “Even the police was used for the Fidesz-backed manipulation campaign when they searched City Hall offices and the homes of several colleagues,” he added.

“Nobody sold the building and nobody wanted to sell it,” Karácsony said, adding that the allegations were “false”.